


Lost Destiny

by Nihes



Series: Uncertain Path [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Gen, Headcanon, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hurt/Comfort, Jedi Apprentice Series referenced, Jedi Training, Jedi with emotions, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a Mess, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character, POV Multiple, Qui-Gon Jinn Lives, Rating May Change, post-TPM
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2019-08-19 21:33:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 39,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16542659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nihes/pseuds/Nihes
Summary: What if TPM had ended differently? What if Qui-Gon had been the one to defeat Maul instead of Obi-Wan?When Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi return to Coruscant from Naboo, Qui-Gon is determined to change the Jedi Council's mind and ensure that Anakin Skywalker will become a Jedi - at his own Padawan's expense if necessary. Rejected by his Master, Obi-Wan is adrift and in danger of going down a darker path while Anakin enjoys his new Master's full attention.





	1. Obedience

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars  
> This is a work in progress and I am not sure yet where it will go. Updates hopefully every other week (or at least once a month)

# C 1: Obedience

**968 Ruusan Calendar, Jedi Temple, Coruscant**

"Obi-Wan...." His name was spoken in a tone that clearly conveyed the speakers exasperation and a little bit of impatience. Suppressing a flare of annoyance, Obi-Wan ignored his Master and continued to stare at the looming Council Chamber doors. The engraved pattern was beautiful. Why had he never paid attention to it before? Had it always been there?

Next to him his Master sighed and a moment later a large hand settled on his shoulder, squeezed it affectionately and gently pushed until he was forced to turn around and face the older man. Obi-Wan winced as the movement sent a new wave of agony through his barely healed left side. However, the physical pain paled in comparison to the utter fury that raced through his veins at the casual gesture that spoke of so much familiarity. Still refusing to look at his Master, Obi-Wan focused his gaze on the wall behind the older man's shoulder

How dare the man? Suddenly his Master remembered Obi-Wan's existence, now that he wanted something from him. Where had Qui-Gon been when Obi-Wan had lain helplessly on the floor of that reactor complex with a gaping lightsaber wound in his gut? Where had he been while Obi-Wan had fought for his life in the medic center on Naboo? Where had the man been when he had woken up all alone after three weeks of artificial coma? Where had his Master been when he had barely managed to crawl into the 'fresher during their week-long trip back to Coruscant? 

He had been too occupied with fawning over his precious Chosen One to speak more than ten words with his Padawan, that's where he had been. Only now that he needed Obi-Wan's help to convince the Council to get what he wanted had he deemed it necessary to talk to Obi-Wan and inform him of his latest defiance of the Council's orders.

A gentle, probing thought was sent across their training bond, undoubtedly in response to Obi-Wan's barely contained fury, and Obi-Wan instinctively tightened his mental shields and clamped down hard on the bond to keep the older man out of his mind. Qui-Gon's only reaction was another sigh before he grabbed Obi-Wan's chin and forced him to look at the older man. Against his will, Obi-Wan found himself gazing into midnight-blue eyes burning with determination and not the slightest bit of remorse. A new wave of bitterness swept through the Padawan. Of course Qui-Gon did not feel the slightest bit of remorse, he never did.  

"Obi-Wan, I understand that you are not happy abut the fact that I have gone behind your back and defied the Council, but this childish behavior is unbecoming of a Jedi. You are better than this."

Obi-Wan only wrenched his face from Qui-Gon's hand and glared at the Jedi Master. He answered in a tight voice,

"You want me to lie to the Council, Master."

Qui-Gon raised his eyebrows.

"No, I want you to trust my judgment and support me, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan couldn't help it, he barked out a laugh.

"Your judgment has been lacking since the second you have laid eyes on that boy, Master. You were prepared to bet our ship and with it all our lives on the outcome of a podrace, you made promises you knew you could not keep, you dragged a nine year old boy into a war zone and you blatantly lied to me, Queen Amidala and the Council. And for what?" Obi-Wan took a deep shuddering breath. "Because you are convinced you are fulfilling a _prophecy_! What happened to your mantra of focusing on the here and now?"

Qui-Gon's midnight blue eyes flashed and his face hardened.

"Careful, Obi-Wan. I am still your Master and I do not owe you any justifications for my actions. I follow the Will of the Force above everything else and you would do well to remember your place, _Padawan_." Obi-Wan cringed at his Master's unusually harsh tone. Unfaced, Qui-Gon continued with absolute conviction in his voice.

"Anakin is the Chosen One. Do you understand? Nothing is more important than ensuring that he is trained. _Nothing_!"

"Master -" Obi-Wan's voice was pained.

Qui-Gon cut him off.

"You know that I am right." He gave Obi-Wan a sharp look. "I trust that you will do your duty and not fail me." He did not say 'like you did when you failed against the Sith' but Obi-Wan heard it all the same. If Obi-Wan had managed to defeat the Sith, he would be a Knight now and Qui-Gon would have been able to claim Master's Right and choose Anakin as his Padawan, no matter what the Council, Obi-Wan or anybody else thought about it. But Obi-Wan had lost and almost died in the process. Obi-Wan's shoulders slumped in defeat and he bowed his head in a demonstration of obedience.

"Yes, Master." It was the only acceptable reply.

"Good!" 

Without another word Qui-Gon turned away, folded his arms into the sleeves of his cloak and proceeded to wait for the doors to open and admit them into the Council Chamber. The man's leonine features were set into an unreadable mask that most people would describe as peaceful or serene, but Obi-Wan noticed the determined set of his Master's jaw and the intensity in his eyes. His Master was prepared to march into battle and backing down was not an acceptable option. Qui-Gon Jinn had set his course and would not deviate from it, no matter the price.

The Council Chamber doors finally swished open and without hesitation Qui-Gon strode into the chamber and towards the center of the circular room, his wide cloak billowing imperiously behind him. He did not look back at his Padawan, certain in his knowledge that Obi-Wan would obediently follow. And why should he doubt Obi-Wan's obedience? In the end, Obi-Wan always did as he was told even if he did it with gritted teeth. The day he had become a Padawan he had sworn to obey his Master and whatever flaws Obi-Wan might have, breaking his word was not one of them. However, he couldn't lie to the Council either. His only hope was that the Council would not ask him any questions.

With slightly shaking hands Obi-Wan straightened and limped after his Master at a much slower pace than Qui-Gon, careful not to aggravate his only partly healed injury unnecessarily. With dread pooling in his stomach, he took up his proper position a step behind and to the side of his Master. He had a bad feeling about this.


	2. Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qui-Gon is determined and understands nothing, the Council is furious and Obi-Wan gets caught between a rock and a hard place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter has been sitting on my hard drive for some time now, but it never felt right. I have now finished it under the influence of pain meds (dentists are sadists and root treatment is their worst instrument of torture) and therefore I am not really accountable for everything I wrote during the last few days.
> 
> This chapter contains references to the Jedi Apprentice series (or my version of it). It should still be possible to follow the story without reading those books but for clarification:  
> Xanatos was Qui-Gon's Padawan until a few years before he met Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon idolized Xanatos and did not notice that Xanatos was falling to the Dark Side until it was too late. As a result Qui-Gon developed some serious trust issues, seeing Darkness in everyone and especially in Obi-Wan and considering every disobedience as first signs of betrayal. He first rejected Obi-Wan as his new Padawan because he thought Obi-Wan was too angry and violent and destined to Fall.
> 
> Obi-Wan is only 20 in this fic because it makes the story more believable and being still a Padawan at 25 seems implausible to me.

# C 2: Betrayal

 

Qui-Gon strode into the Council chamber with purpose in his steps and determination in his eyes. Anakin needed to be trained, no matter the cost and he would ensure that it happened. As he took up his position in the center of the circular room, Qui-Gon's eyes swept the chamber, trying to gauge the mood of the twelve Council members. However, the faces of the twelve most respected Masters of the Order were set into impassive masks, giving away nothing. He turned to face Master Windu and Master Yoda, the two highest ranking members of the Council, and waited for his Padawan to limp to his side. Obi-Wan was clearly in a lot of pain from his injuries, but he didn't look like he was about to collapse. He would have preferred to send the young man straight to the Halls of Healing upon their landing instead of dragging him to this Council meeting, but he had a feeling that he would need the additional support of somebody the Council considered to be impartial. Satisfied that Obi-Wan would get through the Council meeting, Qui-Gon bowed in greeting and addressed the Council,

"Masters, I have come before the Council today to discuss the matter of Anakin Skywalker's training."

For a moment the chamber was quiet, then Master Windu leaned slightly forward and asked with narrowed eyes,

"What matter? Skywalker has been denied training and the Council will not change its decision. You are wasting your breath if you think that we will call the boy back from Naboo. He is better off staying where he is."

Mace Windu's voice was calm but carried a barely perceptible undercurrent of warning. A quick sweep of the reactions of the other Council members revealed subtle hints of rejection on most faces as well as in their body language. This would be an uphill battle, but Qui-Gon was more than ready to fight it.

"With all due respect, but I cannot accept that. Anakin has proven himself more than worthy to become a Jedi. He has demonstrated his talent, selflessness, courage and dedication during the battle of Theed. He is everything a Jedi should be and I emphasize again that he is the Chosen One. He has to be trained if we want to stand a chance against the Sith in the future. He is a natural with a lightsaber and his Force skills are developing at an incredible rate. If you still doubt that he is the child of the prophecy, then I will gladly bring him forward for another evaluation."

Silence filled the room after his little speech and Qui-Gon could almost feel the temperature in the room plummet as the meaning of his words sunk in and the atmosphere turned icy. Ki-Adi Mundi was the first to speak, his tone sharp like a knife edge.

"Are you telling us that you have secretly trained Skywalker in the Jedi arts despite the fact that this Council has explicitly forbidden it?"

Qui-Gon folded his arms into the sleeves of his cloak and raised his chin in defiance.

"Yes, I had to prove to you that he is suitable to become a Jedi and he has proven me right in every regard. I have never seen a child with more talent and eagerness to learn. Anakin is a true prodigy and deserves a chance. I apologize that I have gone against the Council's wishes, but I am following the Will of the Force. I can fetch Anakin right now and you can see for yourself that I am right. He is waiting in my quarters for your summonings."

With every word he spoke, the tension in the room increased until the air all but crackled with the Council's combined fury. Despite himself, even the infamous 'Maverick' felt a sliver of unease as the furious glares of twelve Council members burned into him. Qui-Gon held his breath and waited. It had been a dangerous gamble to defy the Council like this, but after a lot of meditation Qui-Gon had done it anyway. If he had to back the Council into a corner to see the Will of the Force fulfilled, then he would do it. At least the Council now had to talk to Anakin again. They had no other choice. 

Master Windu's nostrils flared with barely constrained rage and he looked positively murderous as he announced,

"Master Jinn, for your defiance of your orders and your blatant disregard of the Jedi Code, this Council places you under official censure. For the duration of six months," the Korun Master met the eyes of his colleagues and received eleven nods of approval, "you will not be assigned to any missions and will not be allowed to leave the Temple except with the explicit permission of a Council member."

Behind Qui-Gon, his Padawan inhaled sharply at the announcement. Six months under censure was a severe punishment and was reserved for truly outrageous transgressions. However, Qui-Gon didn't do so much as bat an eye. As a matter of fact, a wave of something close to satisfaction swept through his veins at hearing the sentence. He had expected worse and six months of censure was less of a punishment than the Council might thought. Six months in the Temple meant that he had ample time to help Anakin to adapt to temple life as well as assist the boy with his studies and his training. He allowed himself to feel a rush of anticipation at the thought of being able to spend more time with the boy and see him develop his incredible potential. Perhaps he could even take Anakin as his own Padawan as soon as Obi-Wan was Knighted in another two or three years - if no other Knight or Master beat him to it. 

Qui-Gon accepted the punishment with a respectful bow, doing his best to present a humble and contrite expression.

"Yes, Masters." He paused briefly, "I will immediately fetch Anakin and -"

To his surprise he was harshly interrupted by Adi Gallia,

"No." The female Master didn't bother to elaborate any further.

"No?" Qui-Gon echoed uncomprehendingly, turning around to face the Tholothian Master whose dark features were set into an uncharacteristic scowl. The confusion must have been evident on his face because Master Gallia clarified,

"No, we will not interview Skywalker again and no, we do not respond well to attempts at blackmailing us." She glared at him. "No matter how talented Skywalker might be, there is no way he has learned enough during the last few weeks to be a threat. Just in case you have forgotten, Master Jinn, unsuitable, partly trained Initiates are sent away to the Jedi Service Corps all the time. Skywalker is no different. And just in case you still wonder why we are not impressed with his progress: his talent has never been in question, but his ability to control his emotions and himself is. Skywalker will not be trained, you will send him back to Naboo where he will be looked after, and this is our last word."

Unable to believe what he was hearing, Qui-Gon started again,

"But -", only to be cut off by Master Yoda whose voice had an uncharacteristically harsh edge to it.

"Obsessed, you have become with your belief that the Chosen One, Skywalker is. Clouded, your judgment is in this matter. More to a great Jedi there is, than their midi-chlorian count. Know that, you should. Suitable to become a Jedi, the boy is not!"

Qui-Gon's frustration bubbled over. 

"You barely know Anakin! You have judged him after only one conversation and knowing him for less than an hour. He had just left the only home he had ever known, been thrust into a world he knew nothing about and his entire future depended on that one conversation. Every child would have been anxious and afraid under these circumstances. Holding his uncontrolled emotions against him is unfair and only shows your lack of compassion. I have spent almost two months in the company of the boy and I have never met a child more worthy of becoming a Jedi. He only needs proper training and I am convinced that he will become the greatest Jedi this order has ever seen!"

Slightly breathless after his rant, Qui-Gon looked around the room for support but saw only rejection on the Councilors' faces. The exception was Plo Koon, who was hard to read behind his goggles and his breathing mask, but Qui-Gon thought he looked rather pensive than disapproving. The Kel Dor finally admitted,

"What you say is not without merit. We do indeed not know Anakin Skywalker very well."

Qui-Gon's hopes rose. It was well-known that the kind-hearted Kel Dor had a weak spot for younglings. Undoubtedly thinking the same thing, Master Windu interrupted Master Koon with a sigh,

"Plo -"

With a gesture of his hand, the Kel Dor Master silenced his colleague and continued, "However, you are hardly impartial either. You have become far too attached to the boy to judge him fairly." The Councilor focused his attention on Obi-Wan. "What do you think about young Skywalker, Padawan Kenobi? You have also had plenty of time to observe the boy and are less emotionally involved."

Qui-Gon turned to look expectantly at his Padawan, who immediately dropped his gaze to the floor as the attention in the room shifted towards him. 

Plo Koon was about to change his mind and his friends Saesee Tiin and Ki-Adi Mundi would listen to the esteemed Kel Dor Master. It was not yet enough for Anakin to be accepted into the Order, but it was progress. Obi-Wan's support might just be enough to tip the scales in favor of Anakin's training or at least get him another hearing. Unlike Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan was known for his obedience towards the Council and his strict adherence to the rules, giving his defiance more weight even if he was only a Padawan. They would listen to him.

However, the young man did not seem to be in a hurry to jump to Qui-Gon's defense and instead of answering only continued to study the tiled floor at his feet. Qui-Gon sent an encouraging pulse along their training bond, prompting his Padawan to speak. Obi-Wan did not react, he only drew his brown cloak tighter around his compact frame, looking rather like a child seeking protection from the cold than the twenty year old Senior Padawan that he was. Finally, he answered in a soft voice,

"I would prefer to not answer that question, Master Koon."

Qui-Gon had difficulty to mask his surprise. They had discussed this less than an hour ago in the antechamber! He focused his attention on his Padawan and pushed an inquiring thought across their training bond but, to his surprise, was blocked by strong mental shields.

"Obi-Wan?" He asked, trying to catch his Padawan's eyes, but was interrupted by Master Windu before he could coax Obi-Wan into establishing eye contact.

"A Council member has asked you a question, Padawan Kenobi, and I am quite interested in what you have to say in that matter myself. You will answer." The Korun Master's voice broke no argument.

Still refusing to look at anybody, Obi-Wan continued to stare at his feet as he obviously considered his response. Then the young man straightened his posture, folded his hands into the sleeves of his wide cloak and looked directly at Master Windu. He said in the measured tone of a trained diplomat,

"I have not had much contact with Anakin, Masters. He has spent all his time with either Master Jinn or Queen Amidala and I had other things on my mind during our mission than to pay much attention to the boy. Therefore, I do not feel qualified to answer that question to your satisfaction, especially if the future of the child is at stake."

"What?" Qui-Gon didn't realize that he had blurted the question out loud until several Councilors looked at him in disapproval. Not caring in the slightest, he focused on the training bond again and tried to wiggle past Obi-Wan's mental defenses in order to demand an explanation, but only ended up feeling like he had run into a solid wall at full speed and the beginnings of a terrible headache. At any other time he would have been impressed with his Padawan's ability at mental shielding, but at the moment he only had to suppress his mounting irritation at Obi-Wan's lack of cooperation. Soothing his pulsing headache with the Force, he opened their training bond fully and sent with all his considerable strength in the Force,

'What are you talking about? We have discussed this and you promised me your support! You have to trust me in this, the Council will listen to you. Tell them that Anakin is suitable!'

Obi-Wan winced slightly, indicating that the message had been loud enough to penetrate his mental shields. However, instead of opening his end of the bond or heeding his Master's wishes, the young man only strengthened his mental defenses even more and remained silent.

Obviously not satisfied with the answer either, Master Windu fixated Obi-Wan with a piercing gaze.

"You have spent - what? - two weeks together with the boy on board of the Queen's spaceship, in close quarters, cut off from the rest of the galaxy in hyperspace and you are telling me that you did not form an opinion on the boy, that you never got an insight into his emotions and thought processes? You are a trained diplomat whose Force talents are strong in the area of mind arts and reading people. I will ask you again, what do you think about Anakin Skywalker? And we want a truthful answer, Padawan Kenobi."

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Qui-Gon watched Obi-Wan's gaze grew distant as he furrowed his brows in contemplation. When the young man's gaze sharpened again, his face was a blank mask and his Force presence was unreadable through his heavy shielding. Qui-Gon was unable to take his eyes from the young man's strangely empty face, silently pleading his apprentice to stand with him, to not betray his trust and go against the Will of the Force. Then the young man spoke. 

"As I have already said, I have not spent much time with Anakin, but my impression of the child is that he is a good boy with a kind heart." The tight knot of anxiety in Qui-Gon's stomach uncoiled and the tension in his shoulders eased significantly. Of course Obi-Wan would stand with him, he always did. Qui-Gon sent a pulse of encouragement and affection along their training bond, urging his Padawan to continue. The muscles in Obi-Wan's jaw and arms tightened visibly, betraying the young man's discomfort although his face remained expressionless. Obi-Wan took a deep breath and carried on in a slightly unsteady voice, 

"However, in my opinion, training him to become a Jedi Knight would be a mistake." Qui-Gon heard his Padawan talk, but the words sounded like meaningless gibberish in his ears.

Obi-Wan wouldn't! His Padawan knew his duty, he would not betray him like this! Qui-Gon had explained and emphasized to him the importance of Anakin's training for the future of the Jedi Order and the entire galaxy again and again. His Padawan knew what was at stake. The young man might not be very happy about recent events and yes, Qui-Gon had also felt Obi-Wan's jealousy and bitterness towards Anakin across their bond on several occasions, but surely his Padawan would never risk the fate of the entire galaxy out of some petty personal grudge! Obi-Wan was not like Xanatos. Qui-Gon could not have been blind to that kind of egoism and treachery in an apprentice a second time.

As the meaning of Obi-Wan's words finally registered properly in his brain, he felt like somebody had punched him in the gut and he was unable to speak. He could only stare at his Padawan in numb shock. Obviously not caring about the hurt and betrayal that Qui-Gon was broadcasting in the Force, Obi-Wan carried on, 

"I have noticed that whenever Anakin is confronted with painful memories he draws on his anger to drown out any negative emotions like pain, humiliation, grief or fear. It is a deeply ingrained pattern of behavior that I doubt he will ever be able to overcome. His anger is too deep seated and even though it is an understandable reaction to his upbringing as a slave, I fear that training the boy to become a Jedi Knight and regularly expose him to even more injustice and violence will eventually turn him into a ticking time bomb. He lacks emotional control and stability. I think he will fare better with a foster family on Naboo. The boy is...," Obi-Wan seemed to struggle for the right word, "dangerous."

Qui-Gon could not move. No! This could not be happening. He had trusted Obi-Wan to have his back in this fight like he had done countless times in battle, to support him and see the Will of the Force fulfilled. Never would he have expected his dutiful Padawan to stab him in the back in front of the Council. Never! The betrayal buried its icy claws into Qui-Gon's chest until it was difficult to breath and Qui-Gon's entire body felt frozen like he had been submerged in the icy oceans of Hoth. Everything was cold and numb.

None of Obi-Wan's accusations were true, Anakin had an astoundingly pure heart. Did Obi-Wan really hate Anakin so much that he would risk the prophecy of the Chosen One to fail just to get petty revenge on an innocent boy? Had he misjudged his Padawan that badly? Apparently yes, he had. And why was his Padawan's mind so heavily shielded? Was he trying to hide his triumph and glee at having successfully set up his old, gullible Master?

Unbidden, a memory of Xanatos' sneering face rose before his inner eye Qui-Gon's anger ignited with the ferocity of a firestorm. He looked at Obi-Wan and fury boiled in his veins like a corrosive poison. It burned deep and hot in Qui-Gon's chest, consuming his entire being until it felt like his very soul was on fire and all other emotions were drowned out. Before he could properly consider his next words he hissed,

"I remember a young Initiate - who did not have the excuse of having grown up as a slave, I might add - whose volatile temper regularly resulted in him coming to blows with another Initiate and even breaking the other boy's nose on one occasion because of no better reason than some childish rivalry." Obi-Wan's head whipped around and shocked, pale blue eyes stared into stormy midnight blue ones. Never allowing his gaze to waver from Obi-Wan's, Qui-Gon inhaled sharply and continued, "And yet that Initiate was given the chance to prove his worthiness and allowed to become a Padawan. How, Obi-Wan Kenobi, do you of all people dare to deny Anakin the same chance?"

Obi-Wan stiffened slightly, but he held Qui-Gon's gaze.

"Perhaps I know what I am talking about exactly because of my own struggles in the past, Master Jinn. Perhaps my past allows me to see Anakin's flaws more clearly than you do."

Qui-Gon saw red and he snapped,

"Anakin will learn to control his emotions and unlike you he has never physically attacked another child! Perhaps he is more worthy of becoming a Jedi than you are. Perhaps you are the one who should never have been trained!"

Obi-Wan recoiled as if Qui-Gon had physically struck him, his pale blue eyes wide and full of pain. A small part of Qui-Gon already regretted what he had said, but the bigger part of him was too hurt and furious to care. He had overlooked the developing darkness in Xanatos and it seemed that somehow he had made the same mistake with Obi-Wan. The thought made him sick.

Yoda's gimer stick slammed down hard on the floor, drawing Qui-Gon's attention to the venerable Jedi Master and reminding him that they were in front of the High Council. The Grand Master's voice carried an uncharacteristic hard edge as he intervened.

"Quiet, you will be, Qui-Gon Jinn! See Obi-Wan does, what you would not. Blame him for speaking his mind, you will not. Training, young Skywalker will not receive. Closed this matter is!"

Ignoring the pain rolling off Obi-Wan in waves, Qui-Gon abruptly closed off his end of their training bond and replied harshly,

"I will not let you send Anakin away! I have promised him that he would be a Jedi and I will keep my promise."

Master Windu's eyes flashed.

"You should know better than to make promises you cannot keep and it is not your place to decide who is accepted into the Jedi Order. Now, if you are done aggravating this Council for today, I suggest you accompany your Padawan to the Halls of Healing. As far as I know, he was expected to show up there upon your landing in the Temple hangar."

Qui-Gon stared first at Master Windu and then at his Padawan, who was looking back at him with almost pleading eyes. Now it was the young man who was trying to reach out to him over their training bond and Qui-Gon was keeping him out. However, he could still sense the regret as well as the desperate need for forgiveness and reassurance surging against his mental shields. But Obi-Wan' concentration was wavering, he had been forced to remain standing on his feet for too long and his mental shields were beginning to slip. Therefore, Qui-Gon also felt the undercurrent of relief, relief that Anakin would not be trained. It fueled Qui-Gon's fury like nothing else could at this moment. 

Anakin needed to be trained and Obi-Wan had just sabotaged the boy's chances to be accepted as an Initiate because he was jealous and holding a petty grudge. He had betrayed his Master. 

There was still one other option for Qui-Gon to achieve his goal and ensure Anakin's training. Until now he had pushed the possibility to the back of his mind, hoping that it wouldn't come to that, but any guilt he might have felt before was now drowned out by cold betrayal and fiery rage.

Steeling himself against the furious storm he was about to unleash, he turned back to face Master Windu and Yoda and declared loudly,

"I officially dismiss Obi-Wan Kenobi from his position as my Padawan learner and claim Master's Right to choose Anakin Skywalker as my Padawan instead."

For a moment shocked silence reigned in the Council chamber, then the room descended into mayhem.


	3. Torn to Shreds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obi-Wan is in shock and gets a hug from an old friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ca. 4.400 words

Obi-Wan's brain was frozen in shock. It was stuck in a state of detached denial, telling him that this was nothing but a nightmare and if he only managed to wake up, everything would be fine again. He was still on Naboo, trapped in artificial coma after his battle with Darth Maul, and this whole scene was nothing but a trick of his drugged up brain, playing on his worst fears. 

This could not be real! His Master would never simply repudiate him and risk Obi-Wan's expulsion from the Jedi Order just so that he could replace him.

He was distantly aware that people around him were shouting, but he heard only the sound of his own blood rushing in his ears that drowned out everything else. His dazed eyes were fixed on Qui-Gon, who stood in the center of the circular room with his hands folded into the sleeves of his cloak and a stony expression on his face. He reminded Obi-Wan of a lone boulder braving the roaring surf in the middle of a violent storm, unmovable and unbreakable in his resolve.

A sharp bang echoed loudly in the room as something was slammed down hard on the tiled floor, and the chamber quieted down until only a single voice continued to make incomprehensible noises. Qui-Gon's stormy blue eyes narrowed in response, and his whole posture practically screamed stubborn defiance as he opened his mouth and answered something in a firm tone. Others chimed in, and a short exchange of angry remarks ensued. Obi-Wan finally recognized the gravelly voice of Master Yoda as the Grand Master's last words penetrated the haze surrounding his brain.

"Stop you, this Council cannot. But mark my words, Qui-Gon Jinn, a grave mistake, you just have made. Now leave this room and take care of young Skywalker, you shall. Discuss things with young Obi-Wan, we have to. No longer your business, they are."

Qui-Gon bowed, turned on his heel and strode towards the exit without uttering another word. He brushed past Obi-Wan but didn't so much as glance at him. Without thinking, Obi-Wan called after the older man,

"Master..." 

Qui-Gon's steps faltered for a moment, but he didn't turn around, and Obi-Wan's words got stuck in his throat as he watched his (former) Master stride out of the Council Chamber - alone. The door swished shut behind the tall Jedi, and Obi-Wan could only stare at the closed Council Chamber doors in disbelief.  

He closed his eyes and reminded himself to keep breathing as the truth seeped into him and chilled him to his bones. 

He had just been repudiated. 

Qui-Gon had discarded him like a piece of trash because he had broken his vow of obedience. But Obi-Wan hadn't been able to lie - not to Qui-Gon, himself, or the Council. He had only told them the truth! However, Qui-Gon didn't see it that way, he only saw the betrayal.

Obi-Wan felt sick.

Desperate, he tried to reach out to Qui-Gon over their training bond in order to apologize, explain himself or yell at Qui-Gon in fury. He honestly didn't know himself. His Master had choked off their bond, effectively cutting Obi-Wan off, however mind arts were not Qui-Gon's strongest area of skill, and Obi-Wan could still taste the fury and betrayal leaking past Qui-Gon's shields.

'I couldn't lie, Master!' he all but screamed in his mind. 'Not even for you!' The only answer he got was a rough mental shove that left him with his head spinning. Before he could try again, a strange pressure descended on his brain. Obi-Wan stiffened, and then it felt like a thread in his mind unraveled and something was suddenly missing inside his brain. His mind frantically grasped at the empty space, trying to find the thing that should be there but came up empty. There was nothing, only cold and darkness, where warmth and light should have been. 

Qui-Gon had severed their training bond, the bond that was only severed after a Padawan was Knighted - or repudiated. His Master would not go back on his decision and take him back. Qui-Gon Jinn had literally severed all ties to him. He might as well have plunged a knife into Obi-Wan's chest and left him to bleed out on the floor. The only father figure he had ever had, had just proverbially disowned him and kicked him out to fend for himself in the streets.

How could Qui-Gon do this to him? 

Still utterly shell-shocked, Obi-Wan was only brought back to his surroundings when a hand settled on his shoulder, startling him. Obi-Wan blinked his eyes open in surprise, and his unfocused gaze landed on a concerned looking Master Windu standing in front of him with a steadying hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. Looking around in confusion, Obi-Wan realized that everyone except Master Yoda and Master Windu had already left the chamber.

Force, he must have stood there like an utter idiot for quite a while.

Shame colored Obi-Wan's cheeks, and he looked down at the floor. Master Windu sighed, squeezed his shoulder and said surprisingly softly,

"I am sorry, Obi-Wan. If I had so much as suspected that Jinn would react like this..." he trailed off and sighed again. "I had hoped that you backing the Council would shock him enough to come to his senses. I miscalculated, and you paid the price for that mistake. I am sorry." 

Obi-Wan could detect the exhaustion and sorrow in the man's usually firm voice. It gave him the uncomfortable feeling that he was intruding on something private. He kept his gaze firmly on the floor as he answered,

"You have nothing to apologize for, Master Windu. Master Jinn's actions are his own."

Master Windu gave his shoulder another squeeze.

"Come, you need to get to the Healers' Wing. We will discuss your future there in private."

Obi-Wan could only nod and obediently fell into step behind the two Masters, or at least he tried to. He had been on his feet for too long and was now struggling to stay upright. Every step he took felt like pure torture as his barely healed body screamed in protest at his every movement. The two Masters noticed and slowed down their pace but thankfully refrained from commenting on it. He didn't think he would be able to handle their pity right now. They slowly made their way through the familiar halls of the Temple, while Obi-Wan refused to meet the eyes of anybody they met. Instead he focused solely on putting one foot in front of the other and on breathing through the pain. The track was agonizingly long, and when he finally got the first whiff of the familiar sharp smell of disinfectant overlaid by the too sweet odor of bacta, that always reminded him of overripe fruit, he wanted nothing more than simply lie down on the floor and refuse to take another step, the pain in his side had become that unbearable. 

In front of him, Mace Windu cursed and the next thing Obi-Wan knew was that the Korun Master had looped an arm around his waist and was half-dragging him through the large, white double doors that separated the Halls of Healing from the rest of the Temple. Then he was somehow lying on a hospital bed in one of the far too familiar, far too white patient's rooms, and the hot pain in his abdomen had subsided to a dull ache again. The injured area of his body also felt strangely cool, indicating that somebody had used Force healing to numb the pain. The Force in the room echoed with the remnants of pain and anxiety that were typical for medical wards all over the galaxy and always set Obi-Wan's teeth on edge. A moment later the worried face of his childhood friend Bant Eerin appeared above him.

"You really know how to get yourself into trouble, don't you Obi?" 

Oh, and how he had missed the melodic voice of the young Mon Calamari healer. He smiled weakly.

"Hello to you too, Bant."

She patted his shoulder reassuringly with her webbed pink hand before busying herself with attaching all kind of diagnostic equipment to him. 

"Just relax while I run some tests. Don't worry, you will soon be as good as new." She paused and looked critically at him. "Are you up for some sort of urgent and important visit from Masters Windu and Yoda? They are waiting outside."

Obi-Wan wanted to get this undoubtedly unpleasant conversation over with as quickly as possible. He needed to know what the Council's plans for him were before he could even begin to work through his personal emotional rollercoaster. He could have his mental breakdown later, when the question whether he would be expelled had been answered. 

Therefore, he nodded in agreement, and Bant - after giving him another critical look - left to fetch the two Masters. Obi-Wan used the time to strengthen his mental shields and block out the atmosphere of suffering that permeated the Halls of Healing despite the healers' best efforts to project peace and reassurance into the Force. How other Jedi with a talent for Force empathy managed to remain utterly unfaced by all the negative emotions swirling around this part of the Temple would always remain a mystery to him. Force knew, he could barely stand to stay a day in the Halls without feeling like crawling out of his skin.

The door to his room opened with a swish, and the two Masters entered with Bant following directly behind them. His friend went back to doing some kind of medical stuff, while his visitors sat down on the chairs next to his bed. He left Bant to her business of attaching sensors to him and focused his attention on the two Councilors.

"I am sorry, Masters. The Naboo had no access to bacta because of the blockade. I am afraid, I am not as well healed as I should be."

Yoda nodded and answered,

"Read the report, we have. Know that, we do. Well enough to talk to us, are you?"

"Yes, Master Yoda." Obi-Wan took a deep breath and continued in a voice that somehow barely shook, "What will happen to me now?"

Master Windu's 'councilor mask' was firmly in place again as he interlaced his fingers and answered in his usual calm voice.

"As much as it pains me to say this, but you have been officially repudiated so -"

Something metallic crashed on the floor on the other side of Obi-Wan's bed, the ensuing clattering sound echoing loudly in the room and cutting Master Windu off.

"Obi-Wan has been what?" Bant exclaimed, the shock and outrage palpable in her voice as she stared at the two Council members in disbelief.

Master Yoda sighed and explained,

"Idiot Qui-Gon Jinn, has been. Repudiated Obi-Wan, he has because to train another child, he wishes."

Bant looked like somebody had smacked her. Incredulous, she whirled around to look at Obi-Wan for confirmation, and Obi-Wan could only nod as a huge lump formed in his throat. Bant opened her mouth, undoubtedly to demand further explanations, but a stern look from Master Windu silenced her. Pressing her lips together in displeasure, she threw Obi-Wan a long, worried look, before picking up whatever had fallen to the floor and proceeding to viciously jab at a datapad.

Master Yoda shook his head in fond exasperation, before returning his attention back to Obi-Wan. His gaze turned earnest as he looked straight into Obi-Wan's eyes.

"Guilty of any crimes, you are not, deserve to be repudiated, you do not, and agree with Qui-Gon's actions, the Council does not," the face of the Grand Master turned grim, "but follow the laws of the Order, we must. Prerogative of Qui-Gon, it is to dismiss a Padawan without giving a reason. Procedure for this kind of event, there is."

A strange mixture of relief and dread pooled in Obi-Wan's stomach. He knew the law Master Yoda was talking about, he had had reasons to research the rules applying to unwanted or repudiated Padawans before, after all.

He would not be expelled - at least not immediately.

"I have a period of grace of one month," Obi-Wan said in a hollow voice. 

Master Yoda nodded sadly as he looked at Obi-Wan with compassion in his large, golden eyes. Obi-Wan's relief was dissipating quickly and now he only felt cold. He had one month to find a new Master, or the Council would be forced to either reassign him to the Jedi Service Corps or even expel him from the Order.

There was no way that he would find a new Master within a month, not with his history and disciplinary record, even if his last major transgression had been at the age of thirteen and even if he had done everything he could since then to follow the rules and the Jedi Code to the letter. He might as well pack his bags right now and leave the Temple for good. 

Obviously picking up on Obi-Wan's train of thought, Master Windu asked with raised eyebrows,

"It is a little bit early to give up, don't you think, Obi-Wan? I will not deny that some Masters will only hear 'repudiated Padawan', silently wonder what crime you have committed, and not look twice at you. However, there are some Knights and Masters in this Order who actually possess some common sense, and I am confident that we can convince at least one of them to finish your training. The Council will discuss possible Masters for you during the next few days, and I am sure that we will have several suggestions for you before you come out of the bacta tank. You have proven yourself to be a competent and dedicated Senior Padawan during the last few years, and you only need a few more years of field experience before you can be knighted. And you have done nothing wrong," he emphasized. "The only person who deserves to get his ass kicked is Qui-Gon Jinn," he added darkly.

Obi-Wan wanted to believe the Korun Master. He really did, but it didn't work.

"Please, Master Windu, even if by some miracle somebody should show interest in me, one look into my files will be enough for them to reconsider. Why choose a repudiated Padawan with an unflattering disciplinary record, average talent and a connection to the Living Force so weak that he can barely sense the life force of a bantha, much less do something as simple as heal a headache, when they might as well choose a Padawan from an abundance of much more talented, young Initiates with flawless records?"

Yoda only huffed and pointed his gimmer stick at Obi-Wan in accusation. 

"An Initiate with an unflattering record, you once were, and manage to convince a stubborn and unwilling Qui-Gon Jinn to make you his Padawan, you did anyway. Manage to convince another Master to finish your training, you will. Help of the Council, you will have, this time around. Give up, you must not!" He gave Obi-Wan a stern look before turning towards Bant, who quickly stopped eavesdropping and went back to fussing with the medical equipment. "How long, it will take for Padawan Kenobi to recover?"

Bant pursed her lips and took a long look at the readout on one of her monitors.

"I am not sure," she admitted after a moment. "The lightsaber swipe has cut straight through part of his intestines and has utterly destroyed his left kidney. The upside is that his spine has not been damaged, but the kidney needs to be replaced. We will have to take a tissue sample and grow a replacement organ from it. But even if we use the Force to speed up the growth of the new organ, it will take about ten days before the new kidney will be ready for transplantation. Force Healing can only achieve so much. The healing process after the transplantation shouldn't take that long, not with our top-grade bacta and the help of a healing trance, but... well... it is a lightsaber wound. That in itself makes things much more complicated than if the damage had been caused by a vibroblade. Obi-Wan's flesh has been partly vaporized and nerve endings have been cauterized. I would say he will spend the next fifteen days in bacta, give or take a day or two, with only a short interruption for the surgery." She looked at Obi-Wan. "I am sorry, Obi."

Obi-Wan didn't react. He had thirty days and he would spend half of it unconscious, floating in a bacta tank. It was easier to simply not think about it. 

Master Yoda fixed determined eyes at him and said,

"Worry, you shall not. Focus on healing, you will, and take care of the rest, the Council will. In the capable hands of Padawan Eerin and the healers we will leave you, and when healed you are, return we will with a new Master for you. Trust in the Force, you must, and well, everything will be."

Obi-Wan only nodded and tried his best to believe in Master Yoda's words. The two Masters got up and left. As soon as the door had swished shut behind them, Bant abandoned her datapad, sat down on the edge of his bed and squeezed his hands so tightly that it almost hurt.

"What happened, Obi?" Her voice was full of sympathy and worry.

Obi-Wan fought back tears and breathed in deeply, focusing on the scent of salt and ocean that emanated from Bant's constantly humid skin. When he had his voice back under control, he answered,

"During that cursed mission to Naboo, Master Jinn met a nine-year old slave boy who, at least in his opinion, is the Chosen One. So he brought him with us to have him trained as a Jedi. Frankly, the boy is too old and has far too much emotional baggage to become a Jedi, but he is extremely powerful in the Force, and because we are talking about Qui-Gon Jinn, that..." Obi-Wan struggled for the right words, "stubborn bantha decided that the boy had to be accepted into the Order anyway. The Council refused Qui-Gon's request, of course, and when they asked me for my opinion, I sided with them. So Qui-Gon kicked me out and claimed Master's Right to train Anakin instead."

Bant's disbelief saturated the Force around her as she asked incredulously,

"That's it? You disagreed with him so he kriffing repudiated you and then replaced you like you are nothing but a pair of worn old boots?"

Obi-Wan took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Yes," he answered simply. There was nothing else he could say. He barely managed to keep the upper hand in his fight against his tears, and his lips began to tremble in an embarrassing way. He choked out, "My training bond is gone, Bant. He won't take me back. Force, he severed the bond as soon as he had left the Council Chamber, like the eight years of our partnership meant nothing to him, like he was glad that he was finally rid of me."

Bant only hugged him and pulled his head to her chest.

"Oh, Obi."

Obi-Wan pressed his face into her stomach and desperately clung to her robes as he took ragged, shuddering breaths.

He would not cry like a little child! He was a grown man, for Force's sake, not a homesick crèchling! He would not cry because of a man who had just cast him aside like a used tissue, even if that man had been the closest thing to a father he had ever had, and especially because that man had almost certainly ruined Obi-Wan's life. He would not shed one tear because of Qui-Gon Jinn!

Bant gently ran her webbed fingers through his short, red gold hair. Obi-Wan's awkward position on the bed aggravated his injured side again, but he barely felt the renewed pain. He only grabbed Bant's tunic tighter and focused on the soothing Force presence of the young Mon Calamari woman. Bant murmured words of comfort as she massaged his scalp and allowed him to cling to her like a youngling who was afraid of syringes. Eventually, he won the fight against his tears and his breaths became deep and even again.

"Why am I not good enough for him, Bant?" Obi-Wan eventually choked out, his face still hidden in Bant's tunic. "I know my powers are average at best, and I am aware that I am a failure when it comes to most things associated with the Living Force, but I do everything I can to compensate for it. I tell him when the Unifying Force warns me of impending danger, but all he does is dismiss my bad feelings as me focusing too much on my anxieties, before reminding me to focus on the present. I offer to use my talent for mind tricks during a mission, and all he does is chide me for thinking about applying such gray Force techniques. I train and study harder than everybody else, I follow the Code to the letter, and still it is not enough. I go against his wishes once, and he immediately repudiates me. Why, Bant? Why am I not good enough?"

Bant sighed.

"Don't start like that Obi-Wan. You are good enough. Qui-Gon Jinn simply is..." She trailed off, struggling to put her thoughts into words, or, as this was Bant, trying to phrase her thoughts more delicately. Then she huffed, obviously giving up on politeness, and continued in a flat, matter of fact voice, "Qui-Gon Jinn simply is a jerk who is obsessed with the Living Force and the belief that he understands the Will of the Force better than everybody else. He thinks that Force powers are all that matters because he has a high midi-chlorian count himself, and he despises the 'gray' mind arts because he has no talent for them." Before Obi-Wan could reflexively come to his (former) Master's defense, Bant hurried on. "And don't even try to defend him like you usually do, Obi-Wan. Deep down you know that it is true. He might be an excellent diplomat and swordsman, and I do not deny that he has, mostly, been a good Master to you, but he also has a tendency to be self-righteous, reckless and overly critical towards you. Also, that man has been in need of seeing a mind healer since before you became his apprentice in order to get over the everybody-will-betray-me complex he got from Xanatos. Perhaps getting away from him is actually a good thing. I understand that you do not see it that way right now, but I honestly believe that you could profit from a change in Master. Try to think positive, Obi-Wan."

"I really cannot think of anything positive about my current situation, Bant," he whispered into her tunic.

Bant's voice became purposefully lighter.

"Well, I can. You are not dead. You managed to partly dodge a sure killing blow from a Sith, and that in itself is definitely something. The downside is of course that the lightsaber ripped open your entire left side instead of simply running you through, but I have heard that a lot of girls have a crush on brave warriors with large battle scars. So, all you will have to do is find an excuse to run around bare-chested and show off that impressive scar in combination with your abs, and the female population will flock to you. Who says all your extra training has been for nothing? I have heard several female Padawans whisper about your well formed butt, you know."

Despite himself, Obi-Wan started to chuckle at that, and he finally disentangled himself from his old friend to be able to look into Bant's face again. She only smirked at him and wriggled her eye ridges suggestively. Obi-Wan erupted into a full-body laugh, and he did feel a little bit better despite the fact that laughing hurt. But then every movement he had made since waking up from coma had hurt.

"What would I do without you, Bant?" he wheezed.

Bant snorted.

"Honestly, I don't know. Likely you would have long ago died due to an acute case of rule-follow-itis."

Obi-Wan huffed, more than willing to allow Bant to distract him.

"Yes, and your antidote for that horrible disease was to dare me to swim across the Temple lake naked, as far as I remember." 

Bant's smirk broadened.

"And you won that dare!"

Obi-Wan glared at her.

"Yes, only that my clothes had mysteriously vanished when I came out of the water. I had to hide in the bushes for an eternity until I managed to pilfer a cloak so I didn't have to walk back to my quarters completely naked!"

Bant broke into a fit of giggles.

"And wasn't that a sight! Besides, you cheated. You walked most of the way through the service corridors. The only beings who really got a good look at you were the maintenance droids."

Obi-Wan groaned and fell back onto his bed, hiding his face behind an arm.

"You are a horrible friend, do you know that?"

Bant sniggered.

"Oh, I know." She patted his hand. "Now, are you ready to be sent to sleep, get stabbed with a very nasty needle, have a complicated surgery and be put into a bacta tank?"

Obi-Wan sobered immediately and the thought of being knocked out for another two weeks and spend the whole time in the Halls of Healing of all places made him grimace. But it was not like he had a choice, and at least being unconscious had the advantage of him being able to escape his own thoughts and the hell that his life had become during the last few hours.

"Not really, but I guess it cannot be helped."

Bant gave him another reassuring pat before placing her hand on his forehead, and Obi-Wan closed his eyes in preparation of what was to come. The Force swelled around him, and within moments his whole body began to feel heavy and comfortably warm. The pain in his abdomen subsided, and he surrendered to the healing trance without putting up a fight.

Things didn't look good, not by a long shot. But perhaps when he woke up in two weeks Qui-Gon would have realized his mistake and... do what? Take him back? No, he wouldn't do that because that would mean giving up his precious 'Chosen One', and that would never happen.

A new wave of bitterness swept through Obi-Wan at the memory of how easily Qui-Gon had replaced him, and a little voice in his head insisted that it was all Anakin's fault.

Then he slipped into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of Obi-Wan angst (at least for now) because I am getting depressed writing this. 
> 
> The next few chapters will focus on Anakin and Qui-Gon while Obi-Wan is in the bacta tank. Mace and Yoda will probably also get a chapter or two.
> 
> The rule about repudiated Padawans and the one-month time limit is something I simply made up because of... well... dramatics. Can't make things too easy for Obi-Wan, can I? Yes, I am evil like that.


	4. Padawan Skywalker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin's first steps as a Jedi Padawan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is basically the introduction of Anakin and me trying to get a feel for the character. Somehow it has turned into a monster of a chapter with more than 5.000 words.

"There, that's him," somebody hissed.

"Where?" another voice whispered back.

"Over there, the tall human Master with the long brown hair," the first person answered.

"With the beard and crooked nose? That's Qui-Gon Jinn, the Sith killer?" was the breathless reply.

"Yes!"

Anakin suppressed the urge to turn around and glare at the two gossiping Padawans sitting at a table behind him. Seriously? Didn't these people know that whispering about people behind their backs was rude? It was bad enough that the younger Jedi gawked at Qui-Gon every time he walked through the corridors of the Temple, and that they had had to interrupt their tour of the Temple the day before countless times because somebody had stopped them in order to talk to Qui-Gon about the Sith he had killed on Naboo, but now Anakin and Qui-Gon couldn't even eat their first meal in peace without people gossiping about Qui-Gon in hearing range!

News about Qui-Gon's victory over the Sith had traveled well ahead of them, and Qui-Gon was now something like a celebrity in the Temple. Everybody wanted to know the details of what had happened and whether the assassin really had been a Sith. They called him the 'Sith killer' now, and it seemed that all kind of stupid rumors about the fight were circulating around the Temple.

Was there really anybody in the Temple who believed that the Sith had appeared out of thin air? Or that he had fought with four lightsabers? Ugh, who would have thought that Jedi were such horrible gossips? Didn't these people have better things to do, like fighting pirates or freeing slaves? Perhaps Anakin should have suggested that they eat in their apartment instead of coming down to one of the refectories for first meal.

With effort, Anakin tuned out the whispers and focused on his food. Meals in the Temple were not as lavish as in the royal palace of Naboo, but the food was still heavenly. The flatbread was soft, the fruit and vegetables were fresh, and the offered dishes were rich in flavor. He would have to make sure to eventually sample every dish the refectory offered. The food here was definitely better than anything he had ever eaten on Tatooine, and Anakin enjoyed every bite, or he would have enjoyed every bite if it hadn't been for the audience that watched Qui-Gon and him like a swarm of Corellian hawks, meaning that he had to display proper table manners while eating.

He was now a Padawan and as such was expected to behave like a properly educated diplomat or member of a some noble family - which was kriffing annoying. His etiquette lessons with Padmé and her handmaidens had been fun, in an hilarious way, but actually applying these lessons was arduous and honestly felt mostly awkward. However, he was not going to make a fool of himself and let everybody know that he was an uneducated ex-slave who had never learned how to correctly hold a tea cup, or to not wipe his hands at his clothes, and whose table manners so far could be summed up as 'don't stick your fingers into your food'. 

Kriff, he really should have suggested that they eat in their apartment. In the privacy of their rooms he wouldn't have had to worry about how to position his knife correctly on his plate.

The hushed whispers behind him became more insistent, making it harder to ignore them, and Anakin wanted to do nothing more than to tell those gossipers that their table manners were definitely not fit for a royal court. 

Opposite him, Qui-Gon sighed deeply and gracefully set down his cup of tea.

"Seriously, where do people get all these ridiculous ideas from?" he murmured. Anakin grunted in agreement, unable to talk around the food in his mouth. Qui-Gon's lips twitched in amusement. "Grunting is not considered to be a proper way of communication," he corrected Anakin gently. 

Anakin swallowed and grimaced.

"I think I prefer lightsaber practice to your lectures about etiquette, Master Qui-Gon."

Qui-Gon chuckled. 

"Perfectly understandable, but I am afraid, it cannot be helped. The last thing you want is for a snobbish politician or noble to cancel peace negotiations because they are appalled by your table manners." Before Anakin could articulate his disbelief, Qui-Gon continued, "And yes, things like that actually happen. There are some strange people out there in the galaxy."

Anakin seriously contemplated banging his head on the table. Who, in the name of Ama-ru, would do something like this? Well, the answer to that question was obvious, wasn't it? Spoiled upper class Core-worlders who needed something to reassure themselves of their own superiority. 

Behind him, the gossiping Padawans had finally finished their meal and, of course, made sure to walk past Qui-Gon and Anakin as they carried their empty trays to the next recycling unit. Anakin met their curious looks with a defiant glare, all but daring them to say something. It hadn't escaped his notice that people also seemed to increasingly take notice of him and try to figure out who he was. He was obviously not Obi-Wan Kenobi, who, as far as they knew, was still Qui-Gon's Padawan, but a young Padawan who was following Qui-Gon around instead of Obi-Wan. So, who was he? Well, he was Qui-Gon's new Padawan, because Obi-Wan had proven himself to be unworthy. That was who he was. 

Qui-Gon noticed the staring match between Anakin and the passerbys.

"The gossiping will stop in a few weeks, don't worry, Anakin. The Temple might be notorious for housing the worst rumor mill in the entire galaxy, but the rumors it sprouts are usually also rather short-lived. The next scandal will come along soon enough and people will find more interesting things to talk about."

"Yeah, but - I don't know - can't we cook our own food and eat in our apartment 'til people have grown tired of talking about us?" Anakin asked in desperation. He still had to focus on eating in a 'civilized' manner and could honestly do without the gawking audience.

Qui-Gon's reaction to his suggestion was a deep chuckle.

"I would say that depends on your cooking skills because you definitely don't want to eat any meal that I have prepared. I have resigned myself to the fact that I do not possess the slightest bit of talent for the culinary arts a long time ago. It is usually Obi-Wan who - " Qui-Gon abruptly stopped himself and his whole body tensed. His grip on his tea cup tightened until his knuckles turned white, and he pressed his lips together until they thinned into white lines.

Anakin quickly dropped his gaze to his plate and picked up the last of his flatbread, doing his best to pretend that nothing was wrong and that he hadn't noticed the sudden change in Qui-Gon's mood. The playfulness was gone, and Qui-Gon's midnight blue eyes were now dull with a mixture of pain and sorrow. 

Blast Obi-Wan! Qui-Gon hadn't told Anakin in detail what had happened during the Council meeting two days earlier, but he had gotten the gist of it. Obi-Wan had lied about Anakin in front of the Council because he was jealous and didn't want Anakin to become a Jedi. But Obi-Wan's plan had backfired, and now Anakin was Qui-Gon's Padawan, while Obi-Wan would likely be kicked out of the Temple. But the whole episode had hurt Qui-Gon deeply and Anakin was not sure what he could do to cheer the man up, except proving to Qui-Gon that he would be a much better and more loyal Padawan than Obi-Wan had ever been. But that would take time.

He swallowed the last bite of his meal and glanced covertly at Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon caught him looking and gave him a soft, sad smile. Anakin desperately tried to think of something that would make Qui-Gon feel better. 

"You know, I think I prefer enduring the gossipers to dying of food poisoning, so I guess we will have to continue to eat in the refectory," he blurted. Qui-Gon's lips twitched upward behind his beard, and Anakin decided to write that down as a success. Though, that meant he better not mention clearing out Obi-Wan's room today. It looked like he would have to spend another night sleeping on the couch in their apartment's living area instead of in the bed in what was supposed to be his room now. He could just sleep in what was still very much Obi-Wan's room, of course, but that simply felt wrong. And if it meant sparing Qui-Gon more pain, then he would continue to sleep on the couch for as long as it took for Qui-Gon to forget all about Obi-Wan. Anakin had slept in worse places in the past.

Qui-Gon finished off the last of his tea and got up.

"Let's go. We don't want to be late for our appointment with Master Drallig."

All thoughts of Obi-Wan were forgotten as excitement rushed through Anakin's veins. He was about to get his first training saber!

Anakin bounced to his feet, picked up his empty tray and hurried after Qui-Gon to the recycling unit. Looks and whispers followed them along their way through the large dining hall, and Anakin puffed out his chest and lifted his chin. He was no longer a slave, he was a Jedi now. His Padawan uniform and the stubby Padawan braid dangling behind his right ear were visible proof of it. The layers of cream tunics, tabbards and obi of the Jedi attire still felt a little bit constricting, and the sensation of the thick and soft fabric sliding along his skin instead of scratchy, thin fabric rubbing against it was also a somewhat foreign feeling, but he enjoyed every second of wearing his new Jedi robes. Anakin might not yet have earned the right to carry a real lightsaber, but he was still an official Jedi student. Plus, he was not just a simple Initiate, who had yet to prove his worthiness to follow the path of the Knights but the Padawan of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. He had nothing to prove to these people.

Still, he was glad when their trays were gone and they had left the crowded refectory with its many prying eyes behind. Qui-Gon confidently strode through the adjoining public hall and directed his steps in the direction of the Halls of Learning, the part of the Temple where the Initiate and Padawan classes were held. Anakin's short legs struggled to keep up with Qui-Gon's long strides as the Jedi Master led him through the many corridors and halls of the Jedi Temple. A lot of people stared at Qui-Gon as he passed them, but his brisk pace spoke of a man on a mission and deterred them from approaching.    

Anakin did his best to ignore any looks directed his way and focused instead on copying the Jedi Master's graceful movements. There was something in the way trained Jedi moved that clearly set them apart from normal people. They always moved a little bit like dancers, with a certain fluid grace, and their steps were almost inaudible. Compared to Qui-Gon and the other Jedi he had met, Anakin always felt like a clumsy oaf who lumbered behind a Tarchalian gazelle.

They walked through several long corridors and crossed two majestic, light-filled halls until a short ride in a turbolift finally brought them to their destination, the Halls of Learning. Anakin's excitement increased with every step he took.

His curious eyes traveled over open doors that offered glimpses into training dojos, meditation gardens and classrooms. Classes had not yet started, and the rooms were still empty, waiting for the Jedi students to arrive and fill them with life. The dojos were large, high-ceilinged rooms with the outlines of square fighting rings painted onto the mat-covered floor and observation balconies lining the walls above. The meditation gardens contained bubbling fountains surrounded by all kind of plants ranging from flagrant flowers to rustling bushes and large, gnarled trees, while the classrooms each held about twenty desks equipped with up-to-date computer terminals and holoprojectors for studying. There were also other rooms which seemed to be some other kind of training rooms with obstacle courses and other stuff Anakin had never seen before. 

With effort he resisted the urge to explore everything he saw. Not today. Today Master Drallig would evaluate his lightsaber skills and give him a lightsaber of his own. It would only be a training saber for Initiates, true, but it was better than nothing. So far he had been forced to either use Qui-Gon's lightsaber during their lessons, whose hilt didn't fit his small hands and whose kyber crystal didn't resonate with him in the Force, or, even worse, he had had to practice with nothing but a stick. But these times were over. He was about to get his first lightsaber!

There was a spring in his step as they rounded a corner and finally halted in front of a nondescript door. Qui-Gon palmed the door open and without hesitation entered the small, round chamber behind it. Bewildered, Anakin followed Qui-Gon into the empty room. This was definitely not a dojo. It was too small, and the interior looked nothing like the other training dojos Anakin had seen so far. The curved wall of the room was lined with a giant, wooden shelf comprised of hundreds of compartments of which most contained oblong boxes of unknown content. Apart from that, the room was completely empty. Or at least it appeared to be empty. 

As Anakin looked around he had the distinct impression that he was being watched, and the fine hairs on his neck began to prickle and stand on end. Something about this room was off. He fidgeted uneasily on his feet and craned his neck to find the source of the strange sensation, but he saw nothing except the rows upon rows of boxes that lined the wall almost up to the room's ceiling. 

When he looked at Qui-Gon to ask him what was going on, he noticed Qui-Gon was smiling down at him with something like mischief in his eyes. 

"Can you feel it?" the Jedi Master asked.

Anakin nodded, relieved that he wasn't imagining things. 

"Yes, what is it?"

Qui-Gon's smile broadened.

"The crystals. You are feeling the presence of the kyber crystals."

Understanding lit Anakin's eyes.

"There are lightsabers in these boxes," he breathed in awe.

Qui-Gon's eyes twinkled.

"Yes, and soon one of them will be yours."

With renewed excitement, Anakin craned his neck to properly look around. The room was filled with hundreds of lightsabers! He reached out with his mind, like Qui-Gon had taught him, and let his mind brush against the consciousness of the semi-sentient crystals. The kybers were slumbering, but awakened quickly at his mental touch. However, to his surprise, the crystals in this room did not feel like the crystal inside Qui-Gon's lightsaber. Qui-Gon's kyber crystal sang with a distinct voice of his own, a beautiful melody in the Force that was a mirror of its owner's personality and spoke of dedication, a deep connection to the Force as well as a prominent streak of stubbornness. The kybers in this room did not sing, they only hummed a few intermingled notes. Qui-Gon's kyber had the voice of a siren, while these crystals barely qualified as background singers in a choir. There was no sense of real personality to them.

Anakin stretched out further with his mind and broadened the area of his mental touch, skimming over the hundreds of crystals. The kybers answered his mental touch by humming loudly in the Force, each buzzing with a slightly different pitch. The hums of the kybers rose, becoming louder and louder in his mind as more and more of them woke from their slumber, until a cacophony of humming voices battered against his mind and quickly overwhelmed his still unpracticed mental defenses, causing his ears to ring and his head to ache. With a groan, Anakin retreated into his own mind and Qui-Gon had to steady him as he swayed on his feet for a few moments. 

Qui-Gon chuckled.

"Careful, Anakin. Never try to reach out to more than one or two crystals at a time. It will only give you a nasty headache."

Anakin's headache thankfully vanished as fast as it had come, as did his disorientation. He eyed the oblong boxes stacked along the wall warily.

"Yeah, I'll remember that. But why do these crystals feel so strange in the Force? They are nothing like yours. They sound..." he gesticulated wildly with his hands, trying to find the right word, "crippled," he finished for lack of a better description.

Qui-Gon opened his mouth, but before he could answer Anakin's question the door to the room swished open and a stern-looking human in dark brown Jedi attire entered, causing Qui-Gon to close his mouth again. The newcomer looked a little bit like Qui-Gon with his long, dark blond hair tied back in the same way, though this man had no beard and appeared like he had more of a no-nonsense attitude. He saw them standing in the middle of the room and directed his steps in their direction. Anakin had never seen the middle-aged Jedi before, but this had to be Master Drallig. They had an appointment with the Battle Master, after all.

Confirming Anakin's suspicion, Qui-Gon greeted the man with a shallow bow, as was befitting for a meeting between Masters of equal rank. "Master Drallig," he greeted the Battle Master, before gesturing towards Anakin, "May I present to you my Padawan, Anakin Skywalker."

Anakin hurried to copy Qui-Gon and bowed deeply to Master Drallig, showing the respect a Padawan owed a Jedi with the rank of Master. 

"Pleased to meet you, Master Drallig," he said politely. He had paid attention to Qui-Gon's etiquette lessons, even if he didn't like having to bow to other people, just like he could have done without having to call others 'Master'. It reminded him too much of a past he only wanted to forget.  

Master Drallig gave him a polite nod in return.

"Padawan Skywalker." He turned towards Qui-Gon and gave him a small bow of his own. "Master Jinn." Then he eyed Anakin's stubby Padawan braid and his beige Padawan uniform with a critical look and pursed lips. "It is true, then. You have really repudiated Kenobi." He looked at Qui-Gon with something like disappointment in his eyes.

Beside Anakin, Qui-Gon stiffened and drew himself up to his full height. 

"Yes, he has proven himself unworthy. Anakin is my Padawan now." He emphasized his words by putting a protective arm around Anakin's shoulders, drawing him close to his side. Anakin willingly leaned into Qui-Gon's body and raised his chin in perhaps a slightly challenging manner. Qui-Gon and he were a team now. Obi-Wan was gone.

However, Master Drallig did not look at Anakin, he was busy studying Qui-Gon's defiant face. 

"May I ask what Padawan Kenobi has done to warrant being disowned?"

Qui-Gon's face hardened even further.

"He has betrayed me and that is all I have to say on this matter."

Master Drallig narrowed his eyes as he continued to look at Qui-Gon's stony face, obviously looking for something. He seemed to find it, because after a while he nodded slowly and turned his attention back to Anakin, whose bravado evaporated quickly as he became the sole focus of the Master's piercing blue eyes, and he was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable. He had the distinct feeling that he was being measured and compared to Obi-Wan, and he absolutely hated it! He was better than Obi-Wan, he only needed a chance to prove it! 

After a small eternity, Master Drallig seemed to come to some sort of conclusion about him, too because he didn't waste any more time and got down to business.

"Very well. Padawan Skywalker, I take it you are in need of a training saber. Has your new Master already taught you how to establish a bond with a kyber crystal?"

Anakin lifted his chin. He knew how to establish a proper bond with a kyber crystal, at least in theory. True, Qui-Gon's crystal refused to acknowledge his presence any more than was strictly necessary to make sure that he did not accidentally injure himself with the Jedi's lightsaber, but kyber crystals only ever truly bonded with one person, and Qui-Gon was the first to admit that his crystal was extra picky about whom it tolerated as its wielder, even if it was only temporarily. But if Anakin had the chance to try with an unbound crystal, he would be able to form a proper bond. He was ready for his first lightsaber! He would no longer use a practice stick like the little children in the crèche! He looked at Master Drallig with absolute conviction in his eyes.  

"Yeah," was his simple answer.

Master Drallig nodded and, to Anakin's surprise, dislodged his own lightsaber from his utility belt before handing it to Anakin. Without thinking, he took the proffered weapon and looked at the Battle Master in confusion. He was rewarded by an amused twitch of the man's lips.

"Try to connect with my crystal, Padawan." 

What?!

Then realization dawned on him. This was some sort of test! Master Drallig wanted to see whether he could really be trusted with a kyber crystal of his own. And he was ready! But the crystal inside was bonded to Master Drallig and just by looking at the man Anakin got the distinct feeling that his kyber would not be any less stubborn than Qui-Gon's when it came to accepting a connection with another person.

Uncertain, Anakin looked at the lightsaber and then at Qui-Gon, who gave him an encouraging nod in response before taking a step backward to give Anakin some room. Qui-Gon believed that the crystal would accept Anakin and if Qui-Gon believed that Anakin could succeed, then he would. He didn't need to form a true bond with the crystal, after all, only a thin, temporary connection that would enable him to wield the lightsaber safely. He could do this!

With renewed determination, Anakin focused his attention back on the weapon in his hand. The metal cylinder was of a bold, strong design that spoke of its owner's dedication to the fencing arts. It was mostly silver and black, with few decorative markings. Instead it sported several scratches and the hilt was well-worn, making it clear that this lightsaber was not a mere decoration or status symbol but a regularly used weapon.

Anakin quickly checked that he was in no danger of accidentally pushing the activation switch, then he tightened his two-handed grip around the hilt and closed his eyes to reach out to the kyber crystal hidden inside. He stretched out with his mind and immediately brushed against the kyber currently 'sleeping' inside the deactivated weapon. At his mental touch, the kyber stirred, answering his call with a soft song that resembled something like sleepy curiosity which soon turned into mild annoyance as the kyber realized that Anakin was not its Jedi but somebody else. He was a stranger and the kyber didn't like it, at all.

But Anakin didn't allow the kyber to simply shove him away. He could feel Master Drallig monitoring his progress closely in the Force and there was no way that Anakin would make a fool of himself in front of the Battle Master. And honestly, how hard could it be? Six year old Initiates were given their own training sabers, and if a six-year-old could convince Master Drallig that they were ready, then so could Anakin. He would pass Master Drallig's test.

With some effort, Anakin pushed any thoughts of tests or Master Drallig out of his mind to properly focus on the task at hand. He needed to convince the crystal that he was trustworthy and that he knew what he was doing. That was the only way. A kyber could not be forced to cooperate, or at least no Jedi would ever force it to do so because it hurt and damaged the crystal. If you had to work with a lightsaber that was not your own, you had to coax its crystal into cooperating. Otherwise you lost the biggest advantage wielding a lightsaber granted you: the crystal's ability to strengthen your connection to the Force and to sharpen your focus as well as your senses. A Jedi would never run a risk of accidentally hacking off their own foot with their lightsaber. The crystal would never allow it.

Of course, for that to work you had to establish some sort of connection with the kyber first. Which the bonded crystal in his hand was currently refusing to allow. Just as he had feared, this kyber was even less tolerant of strangers than Qui-Gon's. Anakin did his best to send feelings of peace, trust and companionship to the crystal while simultaneously reaching out for its deepest core. But the crystal just 'snorted', there was no other way to describe it, and batted him away. Anakin tried again and again, but the crystal was utterly unimpressed with him. The best reaction he got was the equivalent of an annoyed eye roll.

He was not making any progress at all, which made him frustrated, which in turn threatened to ruin his mental equilibrium and then he would never win the kyber's allegiance. Anakin struggled to fight down his increasing frustration and to keep his mind calm, when another presence suddenly intruded and gently nudged him away from the crystal. Anakin instinctively fought against the intruder.

No! He could do this! 

But the other presence had a will of iron and Anakin's struggles were futile. The next thing he knew, his tenuous connection to the crystal was gone and he found himself staring numbly at an unassuming silver and black metal cylinder lying in his hands. Master Drallig reclaimed his lightsaber from Anakin's limp grip and clipped it back to his belt. Anakin was unable to raise his eyes from the floor as shame and dread curled in his stomach.

This had been his very first task as a Jedi Padawan and he had failed. How could he have failed? Qui-Gon had believed in him and he had disappointed him. It was unacceptable. He had vowed to himself that he would never disappoint the man who had freed him and believed in him when nobody else had. And now he couldn't even win over a stupid kyber crystal! He was a failure and nothing but a worthless slave. No matter how hard he tried, in the end he would never be anything else. He would never become a true Jedi.

Obviously feeling his distress, Qui-Gon put his arm around Anakin's shoulders again and pulled him close. Anakin leaned into Qui-Gon's side, craving the physical contact with the man who had already become something like a father to him. At least Qui-Gon didn't seem to be mad at him, even if he was a disappointment. 

Master Drallig seemed to pick up on his emotions too because he said not unkindly,

"You have not failed a test, young one. If you had managed to actually convince my crystal to accept you, I would have immediately recommended you for your Trials of Knighthood. Force knows, that thing makes a Velusian mule look like a well-trained pet mooka."

Anakin's head snapped up.

"What?"

Master Drallig smiled at him.

"This was never about you being able to connect with my crystal, Padawan Skywalker, but about how you were trying to achieve it and when your patience would run out. Now that I know, it will be much easier for me to find a crystal that fits your character and with which you will be able to form a proper bond."

Anakin could only gape at the Battle Master. So this had basically been a trick? Master Drallig had only wanted to evaluate him and had therefore set him up for failure? 

The thought made Anakin bristle and anger burned away his shame. He hated being set up and, even worse, being humiliated for absolutely no reason. Master Drallig could have simply told him what this was all about instead of making him feel like a failure and an idiot. It was cruel and unfair! 

Anakin glared at Master Drallig, although the Jedi Master could no longer see it as he was already occupied with choosing several boxes from the huge shelf. However, Qui-Gon noticed and said in a low voice,

"Do not be angry with Master Drallig, Anakin. He couldn't tell you beforehand without distorting your reaction to the crystal. You did well."

The reassurance didn't help at all and Anakin only grunted in response, good manners be damned. He decidedly disagreed with that statement. Drallig should have told him! 

He watched as the Battle Master pulled out a fifth box from a compartment and decided that he didn't like Master Drallig very much. He reminded him too much of the Council; they also didn't care whether they hurt people with their actions.

He observed how the Jedi Master contemplated his five chosen boxes with narrowed eyes. Then the man seemed to have reached a decision because he set one box aside and put the other four boxes back into their respective compartments. Finally, he returned to where Anakin and Qui-Gon stood and Anakin grudgingly shoved his annoyance at the man aside. A Jedi wasn't supposed to hold grudges and he was a Jedi now. 

Then his eyes fell on the box in Master Drallig's hands and his annoyance was washed away by eager anticipation. There was a lightsaber in this box. His lightsaber! Master Drallig offered the box to Anakin and he took it eagerly. His awareness brushed against the crystal's in the box and he remembered his question from earlier.

"Why do the crystals in this room feel... less, than yours?"

It was Qui-Gon who answered.

"Because the crystals in these lightsabers are not pure kyber crystals from Ilum but kybers from Dantooine which are notorious for containing impurities. The impurities disrupt their attunement to the Force and prohibit them from being truly sentient or forming real personalities. They are not suitable for building full-fledged lightsabers but are perfect for training sabers, which are often passed from hand to hand, because these crystals are much more willing to accept new bonds. You will have no problem bonding with any of them, but it is still important to find one that suits your personality and your talents in the Force as well as possible. The better the match, the stronger your bond and the faster you will learn to wield the 'saber and use the Force in combat. When you have completed the Initiate Trials and have built your first real lightsaber, your training saber will return to this room until the next youngling needs it." 

Master Drallig nodded.

"Exactly." He pointed at the box in Anakin's hand. "I think this one will suit you best. It is strong enough to deal with your powerful Force presence, malleable enough to tolerate an impatient streak, and its character fits your proactive nature." 

Anakin only nodded and opened the box with shaking fingers. Inside lay a silver lightsaber hilt. It was obviously not new and honestly very simplistic without any decorations, but it was his, and that made it the most beautiful thing Anakin had ever seen. He reached out for the crystal's core with his mind and the crystal didn't put up a fight, instead its consciousness practically melted into Anakin's mental touch. There was no need for coaxing or persuasion, the two of them simply fit together. There were still a few rough edges that didn't connect perfectly, but the disruption of the forming bond was minimal. Anakin inhaled sharply as the presence of the crystal took residence inside his brain. A simple series of low notes danced through his brain and then the bond was formed. 

In awe, Anakin picked up the lightsaber from the box and held it in his hand almost reverently. The grip was made for small hands like his and it rested comfortably in his palms. It was perfect! He took his time admiring every millimeter of his new lightsaber before diligently fastening it to the utility belt at his waist. When he looked up again, he saw Master Drallig's eyes dance with amusement and Qui-Gon was beaming down at him with unbridled pride. Anakin grinned back in happiness, causing Qui-Gon to affectionately tug at his short Padawan braid. 

"Now that you finally have a lightsaber, Padawan mine, it is time to actually use it, don't you think?"

Anakin's grin became even wider and he had to suppress the urge to bounce on his feet. Yes! Lightsaber lessons were always wizard!

Master Drallig chuckled.

"Ah, younglings... One only has to mention the words 'sparring' or 'lightsaber' and suddenly they all turn into eager tooka kittens. Come on then, I have booked junior training dojo besh-two-nine for the entire morning, so Padawan Skywalker has plenty of time to impress me with his combat skills. Follow me." 

The Battle Master led the way out of the room and Anakin followed the man on his heels, only throwing a quick look over his shoulder to confirm that Qui-Gon was coming as well. He was itching to ignite his new lightsaber and perform the first Shii-Cho kata with a weapon that did not fight him at every step. It would make things so much easier. He was so eager to start that he barely even noticed all the Padawans and Initiates curiously watching their little procession as they walked through the corridors of the Halls of Learning, and for once he also didn't care about the whispers that followed them.


	5. Lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was a long fight but I finally managed to beat this chapter into submission (and it only took 3 months...).  
> As it turns out writing a story without a proper villain and no real action is rather difficult to write, so updates will be slower than originally planned.

Qui-Gon watched from his place next to the doorway as Anakin moved through the first Shii-Cho kata and his chest swelled with pride at the sight.

The boy had taken to lightsaber combat like a duck to water and and after only a few hours under Master Drallig's tutelage the boy's technique had improved noticeably. Qui-Gon could already picture him as a young, powerful Knight dueling and defeating even him or Mace Windu. Oh, the boy still had a long way to go and at the moment his Temple-trained agemates would wipe the floor with him, but for an experienced swordsman like Qui-Gon it was easy to recognize the incredible talent hidden behind the still jerky movements and the sloppy footwork. Now that he finally had his own training saber with a kyber crystal bonded to him, it was even more obvious.

Anakin would go far and Qui-Gon would be there to guide him during his journey.

The thought caused warmth to blossom in his old, scarred heart.

Anakin would not disappoint him. Anakin would stand faithfully by his side and become a Jedi Knight Qui-Gon could be proud of, not like -

No, Qui-Gon wouldn't even think _his_ name. This chapter of Qui-Gon's life was irrevocably over. He was a Master of the Living Force and would not dwell on the past. He had made that mistake once and allowed Xanatos' betrayal to overshadow his life for years. He would not repeat that mistake. To him, his last failure of a student was dead and he would not waste another thought on that selfish, conniving liar.

_He_ didn't matter anymore. 

The present mattered.

_Anakin_ mattered.

From now on Qui-Gon's sole focus would be on training the bright, innocent boy from Tatooine who would one day become the savior of the galaxy and Qui-Gon's legacy. A legacy that would erase his past failures and would make sure that he would no longer be known as the Master of Xanatos, the Fallen Padawan, or the Master of the average Padawan, who in the end had also betrayed him, but the Master of the Chosen One. It was a title Qui-Gon would wear with pride and a title that would finally give the gossipers something worth talking about.

On the training mat, the blue plasma blade of Anakin's training saber hummed in a low pitch as the boy brought it down to block an imaginary blaster bolt aimed at his lower body. The basic parry was followed by a short sequence of fast offensive swipes and thrusts, designed to beat an opponent into submission. Anakin executed the sequence perfectly, instinctively using his kyber crystal as a focal point of the Force to make his movements more precise, and a new wave of unbridled pride and affection rushed through Qui-Gon, making him smile.

Let the Council see this. Let them see the incredible raw power and talent they had wanted to throw away for no reason whatsoever. Anakin blazed in the Force like a supernova and would one day be an incredible swordsman. Nobody who watched the boy for even just five minutes could deny that he was meant to be a Jedi, that he was the Chosen One. Anakin was perfect in every way he could think of and considering the rate Anakin was learning, he wouldn't be surprised if Anakin mastered all ten basic Shii-Cho katas within a year. If his skills with the Force progressed just as fast, he would be able to take his Initiate Trials before he turned eleven which would finally put him on equal footing with his agemates and earn him the right to construct his first real lightsaber.

After only one year of formal training!

Not that this would be so unbelievable, of course. The boy was the Chosen One, after all. It was to be expected that he would not only possess an amazing amount of raw power but also an equal amount of talent in all Jedi arts. How else was he supposed to defeat the Sith and bring balance to the Force?

Qui-Gon's musings were interrupted as the sound of a gimer stick tapping against the tiled floor behind him reached his ears, accompanied by the low grunts of an elderly being with creaking joints hobbling through the doorway of the dojo. A quick glance over his right shoulder confirmed the identity of their uninvited visitor and Qui-Gon sighed in resignation.

Had he really thought this moment wouldn't come? No, but he had hoped he would be able to delay the inevitable confrontation with Master Yoda for a few more days.

Master Yoda reached his side and Qui-Gon greeted him with a polite nod of his head, but nothing more. If the green troll wanted to have a conversation with him, then he could start it himself.

But then Qui-Gon didn't need to say anything. Anakin's performance spoke for itself and was more effective in demonstrating how extraordinary the boy was than any passionate speech of his ever could. Force knew, he had tried to make the Council see reason. If they didn't belief his words, then they would have to belief their eyes.  

As if to emphasize his point, Anakin finished his performance with a perfect thrust before returning to the basic Shii-Cho opening stance, his weight balanced perfectly between his feet and his new training saber pointing upward, ready to slash down at any opponent in a split second.

Qui-Gon allowed himself another small, proud smile. Anakin was almost there. Give it a little bit more practice and the kata would be perfect.

Drenched in sweat and out of breath, Anakin remained unaware of his additional audience and instead looked questioningly at Master Drallig who had been watching the performance from the sidelines of the training mat.

The Battle Master stood there with arms crossed in front of his chest and eyes narrowed in consideration. Finally, he nodded.

"Not bad. Your bladework is almost flawless but your footwork is still slightly off most of the time. You focus too much on your 'saber and forget to move the rest of your body with it." He unclasped his own lightsaber from his utility belt and stepped into the fighting ring next to Anakin. Igniting his own green plasma blade, he slowly went through the first movements of the kata while simultaneously explaining to Anakin where he had made mistakes.

Anakin watched him with a look of extreme concentration on his angelic features before diligently copying the Jedi Master's every movement. Together, the two Jedi went through the entire kata again, step by agonizingly slow step, until Master Drallig was satisfied with every single posture and Anakin was allowed to perform the entire kata on his own again.

Despite his obvious exhaustion Anakin immediately launched himself into the kata - without a word of complaint.

Beside Qui-Gon, Master Yoda rearranged his clawed hands on top of his gimer stick as he contemplated the sight in front of him.

"Hmm, talented and tenacious young Skywalker is. Skilled fighter, he will be, one day."

Skilled fighter, not a great Jedi. Qui-Gon couldn’t help it, he bristled at the Grand Master's choice of words, and against his better judgment he countered with a pointed remark of his own.

"Yes, he is destined for greatness."

The venerable Grand Master's expressive ears rotated outward, a clear display of his disagreement, and he looked up at Qui-Gon with narrowed eyes.

"Destined for greatness, you say? A destiny, greatness is not. The end of a long and difficult journey, it is. Earned it has to be, with hard work and painful sacrifices. Potential for greatness, we all have, yet actually achieve it, very few ever do. Predict who will have the strength to rise above themselves and become truly great, none of us do. Know better, you should, than to assume that to greatness, power or talent automatically lead."

Qui-Gon gritted his teeth and slightly bowed his head in acknowledgment of the rebuke. He should have seen that one coming.

"Power and talent alone do not make a great Jedi," he conceded. "However, Anakin is more than just an extremely powerful or talented child. He is the Chosen One and I dare say that entitles me to proclaim that he is indeed destined for greatness."

Qui-Gon kept his tone calm but his eyes were blazing with conviction as he held Yoda's skeptical gaze. The Grand Master searched Qui-Gon's expression, undoubtedly looking for any signs of doubt, but there was nothing for him to find. Qui-Gon had never before been so sure of anything in his entire life.

The silent standoff between the two Masters ended after a long minute as Yoda let loose a long sigh and shook his head in disappointment, his ears drooping sadly.

"Hear you talk about a prophecy and a Chosen One, I do, but not about the child you have taken as your Padawan. Too busy, you are, with preaching about an old fairy tale, to see the boy for the human being that he is - with all his human strengths and flaws. Let go of your obsession with the prophecy, you must!"

Qui-Gon sighed, frustration creeping into his voice, as he countered,

"I am not _obsessed_ with the prophecy, I merely seem to be the only one capable of realizing that the prophecy is about to be fulfilled! The Sith have returned, Master Yoda, and right _there_ ," he pointed at Anakin on the training mat, "is a boy whose cells contain the highest concentration of midi-chlorians ever recorded in the history of the Jedi Order. He has even been _conceived_ by the Force! How, _how_ in the maker's name can you still deny that Anakin Skywalker is the Chosen One?"

The look Yoda gave him was grim.

"Again talking about your interpretation of an old piece of flimsi, you are, and not about the boy."

Qui-Gon glared right back at the Grand Master.

"I cannot talk about Anakin without also talking about his destiny!"

Yoda raised a sardonic green eye ridge at him.

"Oh? _Only_ about his so-called destiny, you talk. Not more than that, there is to him?"

"Of course there is more to Anakin!" Qui-Gon shot back. "He is a kind, considerate and selfless child with a keen intelligence and incredible talent!"

Yoda tapped his gimer stick against the floor as he contemplated this, then he nodded.

"Yes, true that is," he admitted before pointing his gimer stick at Qui-Gon to emphasize his next words. "But also ambitious, full of anger as well as desperate for affection and recognition he is. Dangerous that combination can be if not handled correctly, it is."

Qui-Gon's temper flared and he barely managed to keep his voice low enough to prevent Anakin and Drallig from hearing him.

"There is _nothing_ wrong with Anakin!" he snarled. "When are you going to accept that I have chosen him as my Padawan and that I am not going to change my mind no matter -"

Yoda cut him off with an uncharacteristically impatient gesture of his clawed hand.

"Listening to me, you are not. Decided to train the boy, you have. Agree with it, I do not, but argue with you about a moot point, I will not either. Part of the Jedi Order, young Skywalker is now, so do its best to assure his success in becoming a Jedi, the Council will." He fixated Qui-Gon with hard eyes. "Point out Anakin's weaknesses, I did, because ignore them, you must not, or fail in training him, you will, and dire the consequences for us all, may be."

Qui-Gon's eyes turned to shards of ice and his voice was as cold as the glaciers of Hoth as he replied,

"Ignore his weaknesses? You mean like you were once so determined to ignore the anger and ambition of a certain _Temple-trained_ Initiate that nobody wanted and therefore decided to foist said Initiate on me despite my objections that he was not suitable? Anakin has neither Obi-Wan's temper, nor his tendency for violence, and he accepted the Council's initial rejection much more gracefully than Obi-Wan once did." The name of the liar tasted like ashes in Qui-Gon's mouth, but Qui-Gon forced himself to continue. He needed to drive this point home. "Anakin is _better_ suited to become a Jedi than Obi-Wan ever was _despite_ the fact that he is not Temple-trained and several years younger than Obi-Wan was when he became my Padawan, and yet you continue to babble about him being too angry and too ambitious and other nonsense." 

Yoda sighed heavily.

"Again, listening to me, you are not."

"No," Qui-Gon agreed icily, "I am not listening to you anymore. I am done with playing your games, Master Yoda. Eight years ago you manipulated me into accepting a pathetic Initiate I never wanted and whenever I doubted him you assuaged my worries, even after the catastrophe that was Melida/Daan, until I was no longer capable of seeing his flaws myself. And my reward for listening and trusting you was raising a selfish, jealous young man who would lie and risk the fate of the entire galaxy just so he could get petty revenge on me for 'neglecting' him." Qui-Gon paused to take a deep breath and banish the pain of that particular memory before he continued, "And now that I have finally found a truly worthy student who will make me proud and who deserves better than to be doubted and slandered by the Council, you have nothing better to do than to preach about his perceived flaws because you still refuse to see that you were wrong about Obi-Wan all those years ago. I am _done_ with listening to your advice, Master Yoda. Anakin is _my_ Padawan and I will raise him to become the greatest Jedi the Jedi Order has ever seen - _without_ your meddling!"

Qui-Gon's cold eyes bore unblinkingly into Master Yoda's sad ones. The Grand Master looked older and more tired than Qui-Gon had ever seen him before as he leaned heavily on his gimer stick, his ears drooping in disappointment.

"Sadden me, it does, to hear you talk like that. Wiser than this, you used to be."

"On the contrary, Master Yoda, I see clearer than ever before." With that statement Qui-Gon turned away and with grim satisfaction left the diminutive Master standing there as he strode towards Master Drallig and Anakin in the center of the room.

Anakin was the truly worthy Padawan that had always been denied to Qui-Gon in the past and if Yoda refused to see that, then they had nothing else to say to each other. He had enough of the Council (and the lying, pathetic excuse of a human being that was his ex-Padawan) slandering his precious Padawan, calling him dangerous or unworthy because they were too blind or jealous to see the truth about the boy. Anakin deserved better than this! _Qui-Gon_ deserved better than this!

But together they would prove all these timid and doubting voices wrong. He would train Anakin to become a Jedi Knight the entire Order would admire and when the time came he would graciously accept the apology of the Council and of Master Yoda for doubting him, Anakin and the Will of the Force itself. And the first step on that path was to ensure that the boy got the best lightsaber training - and the best teacher - the Temple had to offer. Thankfully, Qui-Gon knew exactly how to accomplish that.


	6. Rumors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> headcanon: People come of age at 13 in the Republic, which is why the Jedi Order sends failed Initiates to the Service Corps at that age and how a 14 year old teenager could become Queen of Naboo.

"I am sorry, Masters, but no, I will not take Kenobi as my Padawan learner."

Mace sat in his rather uncomfortable Council seat and massaged his temples in a futile attempt to fend off a developing headache. It had been a long day, it had been a long _week_ , and yet the Council had so far been unable to find a new Master for young Kenobi. And while Master Koan was not the first to tell the Council 'no', the others had so far at least had the decency to consider their proposal.

"May I ask as to why you have decided to decline our request, Master Koan - without so much as at least reading Padawan Kenobi's files?" Mace asked, perhaps a little bit more sharply than was strictly necessary.

The young Bothan Master who was currently standing in the center of the mostly deserted Council chamber turned her furry head towards Mace and returned his scowl with a calm look of her own.

"I do not need to read his files to know his history, Master Windu. People still remember the Melida/Daan scandal."

Mace interrupted her,

"Melida/Daan lies in the distant past, Master Koan. Thirteen year old Junior Padawans make mistakes during missions, and Master Jinn was not completely blameless for how the situation escalated either."

The Bothan's dark eyes were cold.

"He was of age and old enough to know exactly what he was doing. And the fact that even the notorious maverick Qui-Gon Jinn has finally had enough of him certainly does not speak in his favor. And yes, I have heard your version of events, but do you honestly expect me to believe that Master Jinn would repudiate a Padawan because of a trivial argument or because he had found a replacement for him? No, I am convinced this latest dispute was only the last straw that finally broke the camel's back or even just an excuse, especially as Master Jinn has so far been strangely reluctant to give any details about what exactly led to his decision."

Mace's scowl deepened and he leaned slightly forward in his seat as he fixated Master Koan with hard eyes. This discussion was going down an unexpected path and a nasty suspicion was beginning to creep up on him.

"Exactly what kind of rumors about Padawan Kenobi have you heard to come to that conclusion, Master Koan?" he asked sharply.

The Bothan's expression did not change, but Mace had the distinct impression that she barely managed to keep herself from fidgeting under his piercing stare, confirming Mace's suspicion.

"There are a lot of different stories currently circulating through the Temple, Master Windu," she tried to deflect.

Mace's nostrils flared.

"Yes, I am aware of that but that does not answer my question."

The woman bit her lips before finally giving in and admitting,

"The most common theory at the moment is that Padawan Kenobi has touched the Dark Side during his fight against the Sith and that this is the real reason why Master Jinn has repudiated him."

Mace closed his eyes for a few seconds and simply breathed, willing the seething fury that was suddenly boiling in his veins to dissipate and reminding himself that it was unbecoming of a the Master of the Order to punch people. Force help him spreading rumors should be outlawed, and everybody caught doing it anyway should be thrown off the highest Temple spire. Mace would even volunteer to do the throwing - preferably by shoving his boot up the guilty party's backside. 

Thankfully Oppo Rancisis intervened before Mace could do or say something he would regret later.

"You should know better than to listen to rumors, Master Koan," the Thisspiasian reminded her, his serpentine tail twitching in displeasure.

The Bothan woman bowed respectfully towards the Councilor, but she still challenged him.

"Yes, Master Rancisis, but are these claims really just rumors or logical conclusions? You have to admit that the official story does not make any sense. No Jedi Master worth his salt would ever repudiate a Padawan because of such a trifle. There has to be something else to it, some offense that Padawan Kenobi has committed that is severe enough to warrant his repudiation. And while I am aware that Padawan Kenobi has managed to get a grip on his temper during the last few years, his earlier history certainly shows him capable of such a deed. I wouldn't put it past him to fall back into old patterns of behavior." 

Mace exchanged a look with Master Rancisis. The Thisspiasian's expression was hard to read behind his abundance of facial hair, but Mace thought he saw a flicker of...something - perhaps frustration? - in his colleague's eyes. 

Adi Gallia, the only other Council member present today, chimed in,

"Under normal circumstances we would agree with your line of reasoning, Master Koan, however Master Jinn has been acting... less than reasonable during the last few weeks and Padawan Kenobi has given us no reasons to assume that Master Jinn's actions were justified."

Master Koan's expression was grim.

"With all due respect, Master Gallia, but to me - and many others - this situation looks a lot like a repetition of the Melida/Daan incident, and back then Master Jinn had a very good reason to cut Kenobi loose. His Padawan drew his lightsaber on him, forsook his Padawan oaths and decided to fight in a civil war as a common soldier. And despite all that Master Jinn was still willing to forgive Kenobi and take him back as his Padawan when he eventually returned to the Temple. So forgive me if I am willing to grant Master Jinn the benefit of the doubt in this case." Mace's headache returned with a vengeance and he pinched the bridge his nose in tired frustration. Force help him, this was even worse than he had feared." Now, if that is all, Masters, I am expected in the Halls of Learning to oversee one of the evening classes."

Mace waved in dismissal.

"Yes, that is all, Master Koan, thank you. But for the record: your assessment of Padawan Kenobi is wrong." 

The Bothan bowed respectfully in farewell towards the three Council members. 

"Possibly, but I doubt it. May the Force be with you, Masters."

"And with you, Master Koan."

The Bothan left and Mace gave in to the urge to bury his head in his hands. 

A sigh from Adi Gallia caught his attention.

"That did not go well."

"That is an understatement, Adi," Mace deadpanned from between his fingers.

Oppo Rancisis grunted his agreement.

"Do you think she might have a point?"

Mace's head snapped up to look at his fellow Councilor.

"What?"

Rancisis shrugged his thin shoulders.

"Jinn's behavior does not make any sense with the information we have, but perhaps there _has_ been some kind of incident between him and Kenobi, likely something involving Skywalker, that we are not aware of and which explains Jinn's overreaction during the discussion about Skywalker's training."

Mace stared at the Thisspiasian in disbelief, realization dawning. He had not seen frustration in the man's eyes earlier, but doubt.

"You can't be serious, Oppo! You were _there_  when Jinn repudiated him."

Rancisis sighed and ran the claws of his right hand through his long white beard.

"I don't know what to think anymore, Mace. Jinn can be a nuisance, but it is not like him to be so cold or to just abandon somebody like that, especially his own Padawan. He was willing to forgive some major transgressions on Kenobi's part before, but now he repudiates him just because he does not share his opinion on Skywalker? Or because of a prophecy of all things? Qui-Gon Jinn, who can preach for hours about how unreliable the Unifying Force is and how we should all focus more on the Living Force, suddenly turns into a fanatic believer in prophecies? I do not doubt that his desire to see Skywalker trained played a role in his decision, but it was Kenobi's opposition that really drove him over the edge. We are missing something here, Mace, that is all I am saying."

"Oh?" was Mace's biting reply. "Then I suggest you ask Yoda how his attempt at a conversation with Jinn about Skywalker's training turned into a sermon about the prophecy of the Chosen One. I honestly do not know what is going on in Jinn's head right now, but it certainly has nothing to do with the Living Force or even just common sense."

Before Rancisis could formulate a retort to that Adi Gallia intervened.

"Enough of that! It is late and we are all tired and frustrated. We can discuss this newest rumor and its possible implications tomorrow when hopefully the whole Council will be present again. I would certainly like to hear Master Yoda's opinion on this newest 'theory' before forming an opinion of my own."

Mace closed his eyes.

"You are right, Adi. I am sorry. Let's call it a day and return to the matter tomorrow."

Rancisis murmured his agreement and within a few seconds Mace heard the door to the chamber swish open and close again. When he blinked his eyes open, he was the only one left in the otherwise deserted Council Chamber. He heaved himself of his seat with a sigh and walked towards one of the large windows. 

The orbital reflectors in the planet's orbit had already realigned themselves to cast Coruscant in planet-wide, artificial darkness, so it was technically 'night', but on Coruscant darkness and night were relative terms. The city planet never truly slept and it certainly was never truly dark. The planet's skyscrapers were still brightly lit, in the distance huge billboards flashed in neon colors and the air lines teemed with speeders, air buses and other vehicles. Their lights were the only stars ever visible on the Jewel of the Core and watching them travel across the sky in a well-ordered dance of intersecting lines was almost its own kind of meditation.

He needed to think.

Did Master Koan have a point? Had they in their initial outrage about Jinn's insubordination overlooked something? 

Everything had seemed to be fine between Master and Padawan when Jinn had first presented Skywalker to the Council, but then Jinn had suddenly recommended Kenobi for his Trials so he could train Skywalker instead and it had been obvious that the young man had been shocked and not exactly happy about that particular development. Had that rejection prompted Kenobi to do something stupid? 

Doubtful. 

The young man had come far since his early Padawan days. The impulsive, short-tempered boy had grown up to become a highly disciplined young man who was well aware of his own flaws and worked tirelessly to become a better version of himself. Nowadays it was usually Kenobi who was the more responsible one in the Jinn/Kenobi team. But then again, Obi-Wan _had_ acted recklessly and out of anger when he had chased after the Sith on Naboo alone, allowing the Zabrak to separate him from his Master and almost getting himself killed in the process. Obi-Wan usually knew better than to do something so immature and frankly, stupid. It didn't make any sense, but then neither did Jinn's behavior recently. Force knew what had happened between the two Jedi since that first Council meeting to let them both act so out of character. But still, Obi-Wan wouldn't do something that warranted repudiation, would he?

With another sigh Mace tried to search the Force for answers, but the Force was still roiling with the waves of shock and anxiety emanating from the people all over the planet, effectively obscuring any impressions of the truth. He might as well stare into a murky pond, hoping to discern a complicated pattern on its bottom.

Mace quietly cursed Nute Gunray and his public declaration that a couple of very real and very dangerous Sith Lords had ordered him to invade Naboo and if they didn't believe him, then they only had to ask the Jedi.

Blast that self-serving coward! As if the Council's life wasn't already difficult enough. Now they also had to waste their time with calming down panicked HoloNews reporters and only slightly less panicked politicians.

Mace focused his gaze on the Senate building still visible in the distance. The huge dome was also brightly lit, indicating that the republican Senators were still hard at work. Of course they were. Gunray's feeble, but potentially truthful, defense of his actions on Naboo had sent everybody in a frenzy. He didn't envy Yoda and the rest of the Council their task. Alone the fact that they were not yet back in the Temple told him enough to know what was going on in the Senate right now.

 

***

 

Darth Sidious had trouble to keep his amusement hidden as he watched the Senate delegation bombard the two Jedi Masters currently sitting in his office with their questions. He would have to send Nute Gunray a gift basket - or perhaps he would arrange the Neimoidians untimely death. The sudden demise of the coward due to poisoning would likely increase the panic even more. On the other hand, the greedy fool might just prove himself useful in the future again. But these were considerations for another time. First he had to take control of the proceedings in this room.

"Gentle beings, please!" he addressed the six Senators in Palpatine's grandfatherly voice. "This is no way to conduct a proper conversation. Calm down and give Master Yoda and Master Mundi time to actually answer your questions before you start asking the next one."

The seven Senators paused in their interrogation of the two Jedi Masters in favor of staring at him like they had forgotten he was even there and Sidious used the opportunity to address the two Jedi himself.

"Please forgive my esteemed colleagues, Masters, but these new claims made by the Trade Federation are quite disconcerting to say the least. I was aware that one Dark Force-user, and possible Sith, was killed by Master Jinn during the Battle of Theed," he had to rise his voice to be heard over the new exclamations of disbelief and fear," however so far I thought he was hired by the Trade Federation as some sort of mercenary to kill the Queen and not the one in control of the invasion."

The Senator from Ryloth didn't give the two Jedi a chance to answer. Instead the obese Twi'lek jumped up from his chair at the conference table, the countless layers of fat on his face wobbling disgustingly.

"You _knew_ about the involvement of a Sith in all this, Chancellor? Why have we not been informed about this immediately? The Senate has a _right_ to know -"

Sidious cut him off with an elegant gesture of his hand and a mild, reproachful look.

"Please, Senator Taa," he allowed his voice to harden just a fraction, "I am sure all your questions will all be answered to your satisfaction if you just give us the opportunity to actually say anything."

The Senator reluctantly sat down again and thankfully kept his stupid mouth shut. The other Senators looked quite troubled, with lips set in grim lines and fists balled beneath the table, but remained silent. The attention in the room shifted back towards the Jedi, who were the only ones in the room who looked completely unruffled, their vaunted masks of Jedi serenity firmly in place.

After a moment of silence Yoda finally spoke,

"Certain, we are, by now, that the Force-user who was killed during the battle was indeed a Sith. A fully trained Sith Lord, he was, but assume we do that still only the Sith Apprentice, he was. Skilled enough to be a true Sith Master, he was not. Interrogate Nute Gunray on Naboo, Master Jinn did, before he was brought to Coruscant, and corroborated by his statement, this assumption was. Contact with the Master, Darth Sidious, the Vice Roy had," sharp breaths were drawn in around the table, "but in control of the Trade Federation, the Sith are _not_ ," the little creature emphasized the last word, "Make a deal with the Sith, the Trade Federation did. Claim, the Sith Master did, that manipulate the Senate, he could, to legalize the Trade Federation's invasion of Naboo. Produce an army of battle droids for the Sith, the Trade Federation would, in exchange." 

Another round of exclamations of outrage and denial erupted from the Senators, loud enough to momentarily deafen Sidious.

"Enough! Please, Senators!"

It took considerably longer for the frantic crowd to quiet down again, and the human Senator from Onderon didn't stop talking at all.

"An army of battle droids! This can mean only one thing: the Sith are preparing to invade the Republic - again! The last time this happened galactic civilization almost _collapsed_  because of the ensuing slaughter. The Sith are monsters made flesh, they need to be found and _stopped_ before they can gather the resources to rebuild their old empire. Or do I really need to remind you of the atrocities their armies once committed on Onderon, Alderaan and even Coruscant?"

Sidious - or rather Chancellor Palpatine - interrupted her with a hint of exasperation in his soft voice.

"Please, Senator Bonteri. We don't even know yet whether these claims are actually true or only a made-up story Gunray is telling in an attempt to get some kind of bargaining chip for his upcoming trial!" 

Senator Antilles from Alderaan was the next to speak, but at least the man managed to keep his voice mostly calm.

"Senator Bonteri is right, but at the moment I am more worried about the suggestion that this Darth Sidious could somehow control republic legislation and, in extension, the Senate." 

Sidious' level of amusement rose another notch. Oh, the senator had _no idea_! 

He affected a serious expression and turned towards the Jedi again.

"Masters, are you sure that Gunray's claims are credible?"

The green troll sighed.

"Feel, Master Jinn did, that the truth, he told, as he knew it. Whether, tell Gunray the truth, the Sith did, know, we cannot. Doubt it, I do. Betrayal and deception, the way of the Sith is." 

Yes indeed, telling that stupid toad of a Neimoidian anything of value would have been the height of stupidity. Legalize the occupation of Naboo... He still couldn't believe that the idiot had actually fallen for that. Sidious had only ever needed the Trade Federation to start the process of destabilizing the Republic and to bring Naboo and himself of course into the spotlight of the galactic public. Him becoming Chancellor ahead of schedule had been a nice bonus, even though Amidala's victory in Theed had robbed him of the opportunity to very publicly 'save' his homeworld himself.

Master Mundi picked up the conversation.

"There is no reason to panic, Senators. There will be no army for the Sith made by the Trade Federation. The Trade Federation is all but finished now - " Yes, and the ensuing economic chaos, especially in the Outer Rim, would be perfect to further his own plans, " - and the Sith's plan to legalize the occupation of Naboo has obviously failed, assuming that it was not an outright lie in the first place to ensure Gunray's cooperation. Which is far more likely in my opinion. There is no way a Sith could influence the Senate without the Jedi knowing it." 

Sidious almost, _almost_ smirked at that point. However, he still managed to school his features into a slightly troubled-looking, friendly mask and to project nothing but slight concern into the Force.

"The Sith's plans might have been thwarted this time, Master Jedi, but that does not change the fact that a Sith Master and, if I remember the structure of their Order correctly, an unknown number of acolytes is still hiding somewhere in the galaxy, waiting for their chance to strike again."

Master Mundi nodded severely.

"Yes indeed, that is why the Jedi Council has already dispatched all the Sentinels we can spare to the outer reaches of the galaxy to investigate the matter and find their hiding place," Excellent! The less the Order focused on the proceedings on Coruscant in the upcoming years the better, "Jedi investigators are also looking for evidence on Cato Neimoidia and Naboo that might lead us to the Sith who originally contacted the Trade Federation," Oh, this was just delightful. Did these fools really think he hadn't ensured that his conversations with the Neimoidians could neither be recorded nor traced? "The Jedi will not rest until we have found and destroyed the Sith, Senators, be assured of that." They had already found the Sith Master, they were just too stupid to realize it - which would ultimately be their downfall.

Of course the senators had more questions about how the Jedi were planning to find the Sith and needed more reassurances that the galaxy was not about to be conquered by an army of ferocious Sith warriors. 

Sidious inwardly sniggered as he listened to them prattling on. The Sith had evolved, they had learned from past mistakes. Oh, the Republic would be conquered, just not in the way the senators imagined. Still, he listened carefully to all of the Jedi's theories about what the Sith might be planning for the Republic and how they had managed to hide for a millennium without the Jedi Order noticing.

It took hours and the discussion went on until well past nightfall, but finally the six fraction leaders of the Senate were satisfied that their little world was not about to end (just yet) and left the Chancellor's office to inform the other Senators and undoubtedly also the Holo press about what they had learned today. 

Sidious turned his attention towards the two Jedi Masters who were just about to leave, too.

"Masters, if I might be so bold as to inquire about the status of Padawan Kenobi and young Skywalker? Naboo owes these two brave young man a great deal and the last I heard Padawan Kenobi's survival was still in question and Anakin's acceptance into the Order had not yet been decided either." 

He gave the two Jedi his best hopeful and innocent look and waited. The two Jedi Masters stopped on their way to the door and Master Yoda replied, 

"Well, they both are. Full recovery, Padawan Kenobi is expected to make, and chosen as a Padawan, young Anakin has already been. A Jedi he will be." 

How... unfortunate. 

It seemed he had to change a few of his plans, but then this development also offered him some new options. Outright kidnapping Skywalker to train him himself had never been a feasible plan anyway, especially now that he was the Chancellor and no longer had a capable apprentice to do his dirty work either. But killing the brat while he was a Junior Padawan under the protection of the Jedi Order would also be difficult and, to be honest, a waste. No, he would keep an eye on Skywalker and see how the boy developed, if the seed of darkness hidden deep within the boy's soul took root. Let the Jedi train the boy for him. The Dark Side was patient, but in the end it always won. He had time.

That left him to deal with Kenobi's unfortunate survival. Jinn had cost Sidious his apprentice, it was time to get his revenge on the self-righteous bastard and to find a satisfying way to repay the favor - before killing the Jedi Master, too, of course. 

However, nothing of his murderous thoughts showed on Sidious' face or in his Force signature. Instead he let a relieved smile appear on Palpatine's face and radiated gratitude into the Force.

"I am glad to hear that. I am sure Anakin will become a great Jedi and please convey my best wishes to Padawan Kenobi. As a matter of fact, I would like to speak with Padawan Kenobi and Master Jinn myself if it is possible to arrange. Considering the new information revealed today, I feel I need to hear their accounts of the whole Naboo affair firsthand - and perhaps ask for a few more details in the process - before the Senate files the official charges against the Trade Federation."

It was a simple, perfectly reasonable request and yet the two Jedi hesitated, exchanging meaningful looks between them, before Master Mundi finally said,

"Padawan Kenobi is still confined to the Halls of Healing, but we will inform Master Jinn and arrange for him to come see you at your earliest convenience."

It was a truthful reply and yet Sidious could taste the Jedi Master's uneasiness in the Force despite the man's impeccable mental shielding. The Dark Side whispered to him about anger, disappointment, betrayal and pain. His interest was piqued immediately. Something had happened, something that offered an opportunity. Something that involved Jinn and Kenobi.

His reply was smooth.

"Of course. I would not want to endanger Padawan Kenobi's recovery. Perhaps I can talk to him another day, provided Master Jinn cannot answer all my questions, that is. Though, I would really like to thank the young man in person. It is the least I can do after he was willing to sacrifice his own life to save my home planet."

Master Yoda nodded his agreement.

"Convey your thanks and request, we will. Contact the Temple, your office shall, to arrange the necessary appointments."

Sidious' smile widened. It was genuine for once.

"Of course. Thank you, Masters. May the Force be with you."

"And with you, Chancellor."

Sidious watched the door close behind his two guests and allowed himself a slightly predatory smile as he leaned back in his throne-like chair. He had a feeling that meeting Jinn and Kenobi would be very enlightening indeed. The Dark Side of the Force agreed.


	7. Temple Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I needed to write some fluff, so I wrote some fluff (with a bittersweet note), and as I had nothing else to do today I got completely carried away. 
> 
> Don't get used to the fast updates.
> 
> I tried to imagine what life in the Jedi Temple might be like and fashioned Anakin's schedule a little bit after the schedule of Shaolin monks/ students in a Kung-fu school.   
> Has anybody of you ever watched a documentary about these completely insane people? I would run away after a week of enduring that kind of torture.

Anakin was ripped from his peaceful slumber by the sound of a tea kettle whistling somewhere close by. Groaning, he rolled over and pulled his blanket over his head, doing his best to block out the unpleasant sound. However, it was no use, especially as a far too cheerful voice joined the wailing of the tea kettle.

"Time to get up, Anakin."

Anakin only clutched his blanket tighter and resolutely squeezed his eyes shut.

"Only five more minutes," he mumbled.

His plea remained unheard as Qui-Gon's large hand settled on his shoulder and shook him gently.

"Anakin, wake up, it is sixth bell!" Anakin only emitted a protesting whine and refused to move. "It is your first official school day, Anakin. You don't want to be late on your first day, do you?"

Anakin's mind was not yet at full capacity and it took a few moments for Qui-Gon's words to register in his sleep-addled brain. When they finally did, a jolt of excitement shot through him, causing him to bolt upright on the couch with a squeal.

"It is morning already?"

Qui-Gon only laughed.

"Yes, Anakin." He gestured towards the windows where the artificial Coruscanti sunrise was just beginning to bath Coruscant's skyscrapers into golden light. "See, the orbital reflectors are just getting the day started and it looks like it is going to be a beautiful, sunny morning. Now get dressed so that we can start our morning meditations and work on our training bond."

Anakin took a look at Qui-Gon, who was still wearing his rumpled sleep clothes, and gave the Jedi Master a reproachful glare.

"Why are _you_ still wearing your sleep clothes then?"

Qui-Gon smirked.

"Because I am already a grown up Jedi Master who doesn't have to go to school anymore and can therefore later go back to bed again."

Anakin gawked at Qui-Gon in envy.

"That's utterly unfair," he whined.

"Yes, but such is life. Now hurry or there will be no time for you to have a snack before your morning training session."

Still slightly grumbling Anakin got up from the couch and dashed off towards the fresher. The life of a Padawan was hard, but it was all worth it if he was finally able to attend real school lessons. No more stealing or repairing of old, discarded datapads in the vain hope that they might contain something useful, no more begging Watto for files on topics related to fixing stuff and no more trying to circumvent his slave chip's interference signal in a desperate and ultimately failed attempt to get access to the HoloNet. Now he could learn everything he wanted, was even expected to spend hours every day studying all kinds of wizard Jedi stuff. It was worth having to still get up at dawn and endure meditation three times a day. Knowledge would give him power, and power would give him true freedom to do whatever he wanted, like freeing all the slaves in the galaxy.

Anakin finished his morning ablutions in record time, he didn't even take an extra minute to play with the water settings of the shower. Though, he _did_ check in the mirror that he looked presentable before exiting the fresher to find Qui-Gon already kneeling on one of the meditation mats next to his favorite potted plant, or rather potted tree. Anakin deftly navigated through the small jungle of exotic plants that inhabited their living area and settled down on the second mat right next to Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon opened an eye to smile down at Anakin before closing it again.

With a sigh Anakin resigned himself to his fate of half an hour of trying to think nothing and closed his eyes. He fidgeted a little bit until he found a comfortable position and then began the simple breathing exercise Qui-Gon had taught him on Naboo. Breath in, count to five, and breath out. Repeat. He repeated the sequence until his racing thoughts quieted down somewhat and he became aware of the Force around him. However, he still struggled to maintain the connection, it threatened to fizzle out whenever a stray thought about his upcoming school day flitted through his mind. But then Qui-Gon was there. His massive Force presence gently brushed against his own, helping him to stabilize his connection to the Force and to sink deeper into the ancient energy until he was aware of every living being in the room. His success was rewarded by a feeling of approval and pride emanating from Qui-Gon into the Force. It made Anakin sit up just a little bit straighter.

The glow of Qui-Gon's Force presence rivaled the twin suns of Tatooine now that he had dropped his mental shields, and the multitude of plants that surrounded them twinkled like the stars in the night sky. It was beautiful and never failed to amaze Anakin.

But then the tiresome part began. He just had to sit there, think of nothing and let his own Force presence mingle with Qui-Gon's. If they did it right, their signatures would harmonize and their training bond would hopefully finally form.

So Anakin sat there and tried to think of nothing, to just be, and allow the Force to flow around him. But it was difficult. Every once in a while he caught himself speculating about how many minutes of meditation he had still left. Meditating was simply _boring_. He immediately banished both thoughts, but they returned again and again. Then his knees started to ache because kneeling on the mat for half an hour was not very comfortable and the urge to move became stronger with every second.

On the edge of his awareness he could feel Qui-Gon meditating beside him, patient and calm, his Force presence resembling an undisturbed pool of water, while Anakin's likely looked more like a sandstorm.

_Shavit,_ he was thinking again.

Anakin purged all thoughts about pools, sandstorms and his aching knees from his mind and instead tried to focus on the twinkling stars that were Qui-Gon's plants. If he had problems with keeping his mind still, then focusing on the plants and the Living Force might help. At least that was what Qui-Gon had told him.

_Shavit_! He was doing it _again_.

And his knees were really hurting now.

Anakin gave in to temptation and shifted his weight just a little bit. It didn't help very much.

But he endured.

Finally, he felt Qui-Gon's Force presence retreat, signaling the end of their meditation session. Anakin immediately opened his eyes and looked hopefully at Qui-Gon, but the look of disappointment on the Jedi Master's face quickly dashed his hopes for a training bond. It hadn't worked. Again! Why didn't it work? Was it his fault because he couldn't stop thinking? Would they never be able to form the necessary training bond? What would happen to him then?

Noticing Anakin's worry, Qui-Gon tugged affectionately at his stubby Padawan braid and smiled down at him in reassurance.

"Don't worry, Anakin, it will work eventually. It sometimes simply takes a little bit for a training bond to form. We will try again after midday meal."

Yeah, but how long was 'a little bit', and what would the Council do when they heard that they had problems with the bond? Would they put all the blame on Anakin? Would they try to send him away again?

Qui-Gon gracefully moved to his feet and Anakin struggled to get up, too. He watched anxiously as Qui-Gon went to the kitchen island and poured his favorite, sweet-smelling tea from the thermos flask he had prepared beforehand. Finally he blurted,

"Is it my fault?"

Qui-Gon's hands didn't falter in their movements.

"No, Anakin. It might take longer than usual because you are still inexperienced when it comes to meditation and communing with the Force, but that is not your fault. Also, I have broken my training bond with Obi-Wan only a week ago and my mind has still not completely adapted to that. That is more likely to be the reason for our difficulties. Nevertheless, it will work within the next few days, I have no doubts about that." Qui-Gon's voice was firm and full of conviction, making Anakin relax somewhat. Qui-Gon always knew what he was talking about. It would be all right.

There was still another question that had been nagging at him for the last few days though, but he was not sure whether it would be a good idea to ask it. Qui-Gon might not like it. He worried his bottom lip between his teeth as he tried to come to a decision. When Qui-Gon reached for the blue milk on the counter, Anakin finally couldn't take it anymore and burst out,

"How long did it take for you to form a bond with Obi-Wan?"

Qui-Gon's hands stilled for a few seconds before he resumed his movement like nothing had happened. He added blue milk to his tea and slowly stirred the mixture with a small spoon, before finally answering in a slow, purposefully calm voice,

"You don't have to worry that Obi-Wan has somehow been a better or more talented Padawan than you are, Anakin. Because he was not. As a matter of fact, even after training under me for almost eight years he is still incapable of feeling the life force of the plants in this room. You have already surpassed him in your understanding of the Living Force, and I do not doubt that you will also surpass him in all other Jedi disciplines long before you turn twenty yourself."

Anakin tried not to preen too much at the compliment, but a small smile of relief stole itself on his face anyway.

He was already better than Obi-Wan!

However, he still noticed that Qui-Gon hadn't answered his question.

"I will not disappoint you, Master Qui-Gon, I promise. But did it also take over a week for your old bond to form?" He looked at Qui-Gon imploringly. He needed to know.

Qui-Gon sighed as he began to prepare Anakin's bowl of morning cereals with blue milk.

"There is no point in comparing yourself to Obi-Wan at every step of your training, Anakin. You have a completely different background and you will learn and advance at your own rate. Only the final outcome matters."

Anakin could read between the lines and he deflated a bit.

"So it took you less than a week."

Qui-Gon hesitated before he gave in and finally answered,

"The situation back then was completely different. I have told you how Initiates who turn thirteen or their species' equivalent without being chosen as Padawans are sent to the Jedi Service Corps, right?" Anakin nodded and listened attentively. "Obi-Wan was about to turn thirteen and after a nasty incident with another Initiate he was sent away to serve in the AgriCorps as a farmer. But Yoda wanted me to train him despite the objections I had, so he meddled and arranged for me to be on the same transport on my way to the same planet as Obi-Wan. The transport was first attacked by pirates and when we finally arrived at our destination we ran into a Dark Force user who tried to kill us both." He looked earnestly at Anakin. "Having to fight for your life together has its own way of forming a bond between people and a Force bond began to develop between us without meditation. When everything was over I thought I had been wrong about Obi-Wan after all and that he deserved a chance, so I gave in and took him as my Padawan. The bond then snapped into place during our very first shared meditation. But as I said, that was a completely different situation." Qui-Gon stared into his tea cup with a grim face and his voice turned bitter as he continued, "I should have left him on Bandomeer, it would have been better for everyone if he had become a farmer. But who knows, from what I have heard lately he might still end up becoming a farmer now."

Qui-Gon motioned for Anakin to sit down at the kitchen island so he could eat his cereals and Anakin obliged him, thinking over what he had just heard.

So Obi-Wan had basically been a loser, Qui-Gon had never really wanted him, and the Force bond had only formed due to exceptional circumstances... and it also sounded like the whole thing had overall taken longer than a week.

He could live with that.

And unlike with Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon really wanted Anakin as his Padawan.

Yes, he could live with that.

Anakin dug into his morning cereals while Qui-Gon sipped his tea, lost in his thoughts. The silence was finally broken as the comm station in the corner of the room beeped loudly with an incoming message. Anakin immediately jumped up from his chair.

"I'll get it!" The first message anyone had ever sent him! Well, it was most likely meant for Qui-Gon, but who cared!

Qui-Gon only chuckled at his eagerness, the somber mood from before forgotten.

The message was short, text only, but it sported the official seal of the Council and looked pretty important. Anakin read it quickly.

"Um, Qui-Gon, I thought you were grounded or something?"

"Yes, Anakin. The Council in its unending wisdom thought I needed to learn a lesson in obedience," Qui-Gon replied sardonically. "Why?"

"Because this says, you are expected to show up in the Supreme Chancellor's office tomorrow evening at eighteenth bell for a debrief about Naboo."

Qui-Gon raised his eyebrows in mild surprise.

"Oh? Well, then I guess I will go and see Chancellor Palpatine tomorrow evening." Seeing Anakin's puzzled face, he elaborated, "I am to stay in the Temple except if explicit permission is given by the Council and they can hardly tell the Chancellor that I cannot come to the Senate because I have been naughty, can they?"

Well, that made sense. Even the almighty Jedi Council had to obey the even more powerful Supreme Chancellor.

Qui-Gon finished off the last of his tea and smiled at him mischievously. "How about you come along? We can then take the ... scenic route back to the Temple. You have not had the chance to see much of Coruscant so far and you were part of the mission to Naboo, too. Besides, you are my Padawan so it is only logical for you to accompany me to a debrief."

Anakin's eyes grew big like saucers.

"We can simply do that? But I will miss my evening training session if we do that!"

Qui-Gon only waved his hand in dismissal.

"Oh, don't worry, that happens all the time whenever a Master/Padawan pair is sent on a mission. I will simply send Master Drallig a message to cancel your training session. It will be no trouble at all."

Anakin could still not believe what he was hearing.

"And the Council? I am pretty sure they weren't thinking about _that_ when they sent you this message."

Qui-Gon winked at him.

"What they don't know, won't hurt them."

Anakin stared at Qui-Gon for a few seconds, completely stupefied. But then it dawned on him. They could simply do that. What was the Council supposed to do against it? Give them a lecture? Extend Qui-Gon's house arrest? They were not allowed to actually hurt them, nobody would _ever_ again be allowed to hurt him! They could go and see Coruscant, no matter whether the stupid Council liked it or not!

Anakin broke into a wide grin and he bounced happily on his feet, as he replied,

"Yes! Can we go and see the ships at the big spaceport?"

Qui-Gon let out a full-bellied laugh.

"I think that can be arranged. But now you should get going or you will really end up being late for your first training session of the day and Master Drallig won't like that at all."

Anakin grimaced but quickly grabbed his bag with all the stuff he would need, checked that his training saber was securely attached to his utility belt and made a beeline for the door until Qui-Gon's amused voice made him slow down.

"And as I am quite awake now, I think I will forgo another hour of sleep and instead prepare some scrambled nuna eggs for us for a proper morning meal. I think I can manage cooking some scrambled eggs without actually burning down the kitchen unit."

Anakin grinned back over his shoulder to meet the Jedi Master's sparkling eyes.

"Sounds great. See you later, Qui-Gon."

Then he was out of the door and hurrying down the bland, off-white corridors of the Temple's main residential wing. The glowplast of the corridor walls was already glowing softly, imitating the soft, natural light of early morning. Blast it, he really had to hurry.

Anakin dug into his bag, groping blindly for his datapad as he dashed through the Temple along with another Junior Padawans who was also in danger of being late.

Got it!

He dragged out the pad just as he hit the more public areas of the Temple and forced himself to slow down. The last thing he needed right now was for some Master to stop and lecture him about 'moving with dignity' and 'no running in the corridors'. While he walked with as much dignity as he could muster Anakin quickly skimmed over his schedule. Basic physical training, then morning meal, school lessons until midday meal, then another half hour of meditation (Ugh!), combat training and more lessons until dinner and a last lightsaber training session before his day was finally over at half past nineteenth bell.

Ugh, becoming a Jedi certainly was not a fun ride, but it was hardly worse than working for Watto had been. Watto had almost always made him work until dusk when it finally became too dark to see in the junk yard, and unlike on Tatooine here he had two free days a week! The only free days he had ever had on Tatooine had been during sandstorms. Well, his free days here would not be _completely_ free, he would still have to do private studies and train with Qui-Gon, but it was definitely an improvement to his old life. Here he worked to actually _achieve_ something!

But first things first...

A few more taps on the datapad and it displayed the designation of the gym where Master Drallig was likely already waiting for him to show up so he could subject him to painful contortions and make him run laps until he collapsed...

By Ama-ru, _why_ did Qui-Gon think that convincing Master Drallig to privately tutor him had somehow been a good idea? 'Honor' be damned he would prefer Qui-Gon to train him instead of the hawk-faced perfectionist, but at least he would finally meet his agemates later and make some new friends.

Today would be a great day!


	8. Ferus Olin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The muse has taken up residence in my computer and the words simply keep appearing on my screen. Therefore, here is the next chapter. I am also searching for a new title for this fic that sounds less ostentatious, so don't be surprised if the title suddenly changes at some point.
> 
> Important stuff for this chapter:
> 
> According to the prequels Anakin thinks of Padmé every single day while he is a Padawan, so he is going to think about Padmé every single day in this fic from this chapter on... Yes, it is creepy, but here you go. 
> 
> This chapter also features completely made-up botanical 'facts' that have nothing to do with reality on earth. But then Star Wars tradition dictates that fauna, flora and climate of most planets in the galaxy far far away don't make much sense either, so it is totally okay.

As it turned out Anakin's first few lessons after his morning training were not very spectacular. He hadn't done very well in most of his placement tests thanks to his lack of prior schooling and so ended up spending his first few lessons in etiquette, galactic history and galactic basic together with fourteen six-year-olds who had only just started their formal education the year before. These babies were all at least a head shorter than Anakin and looked at him with big, awe-struck eyes, wondering what a Padawan was doing in one of their Initiate classes.

Also, the topics of these classes were not very.... interesting, or useful, to be honest. Who cared about whether every word in a text was spelled correctly or which planets were the founding members of the Republic? As long as people understood what he was trying to tell them in a message it was perfectly fine in his opinion, and if they wanted to talk about history, why didn't they at least talk about the Great Sith Wars or something similar? That might give him a hint on how to kill a Sith if he ever met one. 

And etiquette... well, the etiquette lesson had been a little bit humiliating. Anakin had never had any dancing lessons in his life and had therefore spent most of that particular hour trampling on his partner's feet until the girl had been close to breaking into tears. Anakin had only gotten through that hour by picturing Padmé in his head, imagining himself all grown up and twirling with her through the great ballroom of the Palace of Theed. She was wearing one of her beautiful, extravagant dresses and smiling up at him in adoration. One day he would dance with Padmé like that.

When the dancing was finally over the six-year-olds left for one of the many meditation chambers to be instructed in the ways of the Force by Master Yoda, a class which Anakin thankfully didn't have to attend. If he never saw Master Yoda and the rest of the Council again, then it would be too soon. But unlike the other children, Anakin was already a Padawan and would therefore learn how to use the Force from Qui-Gon. So instead he went on to have his first useful lesson of the day with children his own age: xenobiology, which according to his datapad would today take place in one of the Temple's many indoor gardens outside of the Halls of Learning.

Now he only had to manage to actually get to said indoor garden on the other side of the Temple. Which could be harder than one might think.

If one looked at the Temple pyramid from the outside with its simple geometric lines, and considering that Jedi in general appeared to be very orderly, one could assume that the interior of the enormous building would be very well structured and easy to navigate. However, that assumption would be wrong.

On the inside the Temple was a mess. As a matter of fact the Jedi Temple in its current form was not really one building, but a complex of older, smaller Temples and adjourning edifices to which more and more floors and annexes had been added over the millennia until the whole mess had finally been topped off by putting the massive pyramid of the modern Temple over it.

Most of the old structures had been kept intact during the process, turning them into buildings within the main building, and as a result the Temple interior was a labyrinth of old halls, spires and connecting corridors that were engulfed by the floors of the superstructure. It made it quite difficult to figure out how to get to a certain place once in a while, though after a week of exploring his new home Anakin had figured out a few tricks on how to navigate the place.

The easiest way to tell one's position was usually to look at the architecture and the material of the walls. The lower floors, especially around the Sacred Spire at the Temple's center, were older and generally looked grander with their domed, round halls and marble columns in the corridors, though some of the newer, public areas that had to impress visitors also looked pretty ostentatious. But unlike the newer superstructure the older parts of the edifice had mostly been constructed out of real stone, like marble and granite. By looking at the type and color of the stone as well as the style of the columns and archways one could estimate one's position within the older parts of the building pretty accurately. The modern parts of the Temple, like the residential wing where Anakin lived now, on the other hand had been constructed out of duracrete, even if it sometimes imitated real stone. They were much more austere in their simple, off-white design and their corridors and rooms were mostly rectangular, which made them much easier to navigate. As long as you stayed away from all the rather confusing technical and maintenance areas that were also located in the superstructure you would be fine.

Unfortunately for Anakin, the garden he was supposed to go to was located pretty much on the other side of the Temple from the Halls of Learning, somewhere near the water reprocessing plant, meaning he would need to pass through at least a part of the labyrinthine lower structure, cross into the superstructure, find a turbolift to get him to the right wing and then actually find the indoor garden somewhere on the upper floors... within the next ten minutes.

Anakin grimaced and got going.

It took him a little bit longer than ten minutes because he got lost once, but he finally skidded to a halt in front of the right pair of double doors, out of breath and clutching his bag to his hurting side. He punched the door panel to make the doors swish open and was greeted by twelve pairs of eyes turning in his direction to stare at him with different degrees of curiosity, doubt and in one case outright animosity. But before Anakin could process what was going on his attention was drawn towards the smiling young Knight who would apparently teach the class.

"Ah, Padawan Skywalker, I assume?"

Anakin could only nod as he was still gasping for breath and quickly bowed in greeting. The young Twi'lek's smile widened.

"Excellent. I am Knight Laris." He handed Anakin a pair of protective gloves from his belt. "Here, you will need these. Please put them on and do not take them off while we are in here."

Anakin took the gloves, puzzled, but didn't comment on it. They were in a garden after all, even if it was a strange looking one. He thought the correct term to describe this place might be greenhouse and not garden.

The teacher turned his attention back to the rest of the group.

"Now that everybody is here, let us begin. Last time we studied common features of plants all over the galaxy that indicate whether a plant is potentially poisonous, edible or has medical properties. I presume you have all done your homework and are now experts on this topic." Twelve children nodded earnestly in reply while Anakin quickly put on his gloves. He had an idea where this was going. "Today we will apply this knowledge and try to identify commonly found plants, poisonous, edible and medical." He looked at them all with serious eyes. "Pay attention, this knowledge might one day save your lives. Also, don't touch anything in here without explicit permission and remember to rinse off your gloves afterwards at one of the cleaning stations if you do indeed touch something." Knight Laris looked them over one last time, taking in their gloved hands and serious faces, before nodding. "Follow me."

They all trailed after their teacher as he walked into the garden, giving Anakin the chance to scrutinize his new classmates. They were all Initiates according to their unmarked learner's braids and gray tunics, members of various species and they seemed to be about his age, perhaps a little bit older. The only exception was a human boy who was smaller than Anakin and looked younger than the rest. Apart from that he looked pretty average with his tanned skin and short brown hair. What stood out about him was the one golden strand in his dark mob of hair that continued to fall into his face. Still, Anakin wouldn't have paid much attention to him if it hadn't been for the resentful look he threw Anakin as soon as he caught him scrutinizing his classmates. Anakin only raised his eyebrows at him in a silent challenge.

They hadn't yet exchanged a single word, so what was the guy's problem? Was he such a stickler for punctuality that he was offended by Anakin having been two minutes late? Honestly now?

Golden-Strand looked him up and down, curled his lips in disgust and turned away to whisper something into the ear of the Rodian boy next to him. The Rodian turned his head to eye Anakin critically, shrugged his shoulders and then focused again on Knight Laris, who had stopped in front of one of the many almost barren planting beds that were arranged in orderly fashion throughout the room, prompting them all to pay attention to the two single plants growing there instead of their personal drama.

Anakin gave a mental shrug and trained his eyes on the two innocent looking plants on display in front of him. Unlike his prior lessons this was actually useful knowledge. He already knew how to find and identify edible lichens and other useful hardy plants in the desert of Tatooine as well as how to avoid the poisonous ones, but knowing more about this topic could indeed someday save his life. So he pushed the mystery of Golden-strand's dislike for him to the back of his mind and paid attention to what Knight Laris had to say.

As it turned out the two plants which looked exactly the same to Anakin were indeed two very different species, one being poisonous while the leaves of the other one could be put into a wound to help stop the bleeding. Knight Laris lifted up a few of the large leaves to show them the colored veins on their underside which was how it was possible to tell them apart. Anakin and his classmates noted down everything on their pads.

"Can anybody tell me how vein patterns can be used to determine whether a plant is poisonous?"

The teacher's question caused Anakin to look up from his pad and watch as the hands of half of his classmates shot up into the air. He had barely time to blink before one of them rattled off the correct answer.

Knight Laris nodded in approval.

"Correct. Do you know any other examples for poisonous plants that can be identified that way?"

He called up each of the children to give an example and Anakin quickly wracked his brain to remember what he had read in the preparatory files Qui-Gon had given him for this class.

Cumari flower.

That was a poisonous plant from Tellaris, no from Tonal, identifiable by its characteristic silver-white veins.

Knight Laris looked at Anakin expectantly.

"Padawan Skywalker?"

Anakin's reply was confident.

"The Cumari flower originating from Tonal."

The teacher nodded.

"Almost. The Cumari flower is indeed poisonous and you can identify it by its veins, but its vein pattern does not mark it as poisonous as it does not apply to the two-to-five rule. Instead the shape of its leaves is typical for its particular class of poisonous plants. But it was a good try." 

Anakin frowned, trying to remember what the file on the plant had said exactly. From the corner of his eyes he saw Golden-Strand give his Rodian friend a look that clearly said 'I told you so', causing Anakin to glare at the boy.

What was wrong with that guy? Did he simply enjoy seeing other people fail?

Knight Laris didn't notice any of this because he was currently occupied with rinsing off his protective gloves.

"Are there any more questions?"

Anakin would have liked to ask a question, but he didn't want to sound stupid in front of the others, especially Golden-Strand, so he kept his mouth shut.

They went on to another planting bed and this time the questions started right away. Knight Laris let them inspect the plants and asked them for their opinions on whether they were poisonous or not, and if not, for what they might be useful before giving them the details about the plants himself. That procedure was repeated as they wandered through the greenhouse, taking notes and trying to figure out whether certain plants could save or kill them in an emergency.

Anakin did his best to answer the questions directed at him correctly, however he was still wrong half of the time. But then two of the other children didn't fare any better. Of course that didn't stop Golden-Strand from turning up his nose every time Anakin didn't get it right, and to Anakin's indignation he couldn't even repay the favor because Golden-Strand seemed to know simply everything about the plants in this place.

And with every disdainful look thrown his way Anakin got angrier.

Who did that sleemo think he was? Did he think that he was somehow better than Anakin because he knew more about _plants_?

By the time the lesson was finally over and they were allowed to leave for midday meal, Anakin was fuming. He returned his protective gloves to Knight Laris, got his assignment for his study project, and left the room to hurry after Golden-Strand and his friend.

He would be damned if he let the guy get away with treating him like that! He no longer was a slave, he was a Jedi. He didn't have to tolerate people treating him like he was worth less than them.

He caught up with the two boys in front of the turbolifts.

"Hey! Hey, you!"

Golden-Strand stopped in his tracks and turned around to give Anakin an unimpressed look.

"Are you talking to me, _Padawan_ Skywalker?" The boy spat out Anakin's title like it was an insult.

Anakin invaded Golden-Strand's personal space and found to his satisfaction that he was tall enough to look down his nose at the boy.

"Yeah, I am talking to you. What is your problem, _sleemo_?"

Golden-Strand's face contorted with disgust.

"My problem is that I don't like to get dirt on my tunics, so back off, Skywalker."

Anakin took another provocative step forward, getting close enough to his opponent that their breaths almost mingled.

"Then I suggest you take a vow of silence because with all the rubbish currently coming out of your mouth there is no way that they are going to stay clean otherwise."

The boy's eyes flashed, but before he could give a retort his Rodian friend grabbed Golden-Strand by his gray Initiate tunic and tried to drag him away.

"Don't, Ferus! Let's just go. Who cares about whom Master Jinn has taken as his new Padawan? There are other Knights and Masters and arguing with him will only get you into trouble."

So this was what this was all about...

The boy, Ferus, ripped his arm from his friend's grip and glared at the Rodian which made the Rodian take a step back with his hands raised in a sign of placation.

Anakin sneered at the two boys.

"So that's your problem, Ferus? That Qui-Gon has chosen _me_ as his Padawan and not _you_?"

Ferus' head whipped around and his eyes burned into Anakin's as he hissed,

"Yes, it is indeed. Everyone of us has studied and trained for _years_ in the hope of one day being chosen as a Padawan, and then _you_ show up out of nowhere and become a Padawan without having to put _any_ work into it. You have done _nothing_ to deserve being chosen by the Sith Killer or to be tutored by the Battle Master himself, and yet you simply get handed all of our dreams, just like that. It is not fair!"

"I have saved Qui-Gon's mission _and_ an entire planet! What have you done, hmm? Did you write an essay that earned you some extra points?"

Ferus sneered back at him.

"Oh, I have heard everything about you and your heroics. You accidentally blew up a ship. At best that makes you a talented fighter pilot, not a good Jedi. And guess what, the Order doesn't even own any starfighters, so all of your oh so impressive flying skills won't help you around here at all. To become a Jedi Knight you need to be knowledgeable, master the Force as well as be a skilled lightsaber fighter. You are _none_ of these things, you are not worthy to be a Padawan!" 

"And you have come to that conclusion because of what? Because I don't know as much as you about _plants_ after being here for only a _week_?" Anakin shot back, spittle flying from his mouth and landing on Ferus' tunic.

To his surprise a triumphant smile appeared on Ferus' face and he took a step back to better point at Anakin's utility belt.

"I know because of your lightsaber, Skywalker. You carry a _training_ saber, not a real one. And don't even try to lie about it, we have all carried one at some point, we know what they look like. If you had proven yourself capable of shouldering the responsibilities of a Padawan, to be a real Jedi, you would carry a real one," He pointed at his own belt, "like I do." Anakin stared at the lightsaber at Ferus' belt that looked nothing like his own. It was shiny, new and its whole setup looked slightly different. Ferus ranted on. "So yes, Skywalker - and by the way it is 'yes', not 'yeah', you should at least _try_ to sound like you have grown up somewhere near civilization and - I _know_ that you have not proven yourself worthy. You are an imposter who jumped the line and basically stole a Master from one of _us_ , meaning that one more of my friends will end up in the Service Corps!"

He gestured around and Anakin became suddenly aware that they had attracted an audience. Several of the other Initiates had caught up with them and were watching the argument unfold with rapt attention from behind Anakin's back. His face heated with a mixture of anger and humiliation.

"Qui-Gon _chose_ me!" Anakin spat. "He didn't want _you_ or any of your friends, but _me_ , because he saw that I am special and that I would become an amazing Jedi!"

Ferus snorted in derision.

"You mean he picked you up on some backwater planet out of pity, like he did with Kenobi, and we all know how that ended. Let's see what he says when you fail your first class. I'll bet my lightsaber that you will get yourself kicked out within a year."

Anakin felt like he had been kicked.

"Qui-Gon would never do that to me!" he yelled.

Ferus raised his eyebrows in challenge.

"He did it to Kenobi, why not to you, too?"

"Because Obi-Wan is a loser!" Anakin screamed at the top of his voice, "I am _better_ than Obi-Wan, I am better than _all of you_. I am the _Chosen One_!" 

Somebody in the crowd snorted and Ferus only laughed.

"Oh, you really are full of yourself, aren't you? You want me to call you chosen? I will call you the Chosen _Scum_!"

And something in Anakin snapped.

He launched himself at Ferus and tackled the boy to the ground so quickly that his opponent barely had time to put up his arms in defense before he hit the ground with Anakin on top of him. Anakin immediately started raining punches down on Ferus as fast and hard as he could. Around him people shouted in shock, but Anakin barely noticed.

A red haze obscured his vision and the only thing that mattered was the boiling fury crackling through his veins - and to make Ferus pay.

Anakin buried his fist into Ferus' face with a satisfying, smacking sound that made the pain shooting through his knuckles more than worth it. Hands tried to pry him off Ferus from behind, but Anakin only jabbed his elbow back blindly. He connected with something and the hands let go of him with a yelp. Unfortunately, Ferus used this short distraction to finally get his bearings and recall his combat training. The next thing Anakin knew, pain exploded in his jaw as Ferus' fist connected with his face, and then a knee was buried into his chest, knocking the breath out of him and rendering him helpless for a few moments. It was enough for Ferus to turn the tables on him, flip them around and entrap him in a choke hold. They ended up rolling madly across the floor as Anakin tried to break the hold. He scratched and kicked at his opponent, but it was no use. Ferus had him trapped and refused to let go."

"What in all ten Corellian hells is going on here?!"

The sharp voice rose effortlessly above the din of the crowd and made Ferus freeze. Anakin exploited the opportunity by sinking his teeth into Ferus' bare forearm until he tasted blood. Ferus howled in pain and finally let go.

"Skywalker, Olin, stop it immediately!"

Anakin only rolled around to face Ferus again, but before he could throw another punch at the sleemo he was pulled back by the collar of his disheveled tunic. He aimed a blind kick at his new attacker as he was pulled to his feet and he connected with what felt like the person's shin, but the man only grunted and tightened his grip. Then Anakin's arm was bent back painfully behind his back and he had to stop fighting if he didn't want to dislocate his own shoulder.

The pain finally made the red haze retreat and the first thing of this surroundings that registered properly in Anakin's brain was the blood running down Ferus' nose, his split lip and the cheek that was already beginning to swell as the boy slowly got up from the floor. Vindictive satisfaction thrummed through Anakin at the sight.

He hoped that hurt - really badly. The sleemo deserved it!

Then he looked up at his captor and found Knight Laris scowling down at him with hard eyes.

"Can I let you go, Padawan Skywalker, or are you going to try and punch Initiate Olin again?" The man's voice was calm but there was an edge to it that told Anakin that he was in deep trouble, and despite himself Anakin felt a twinge of unease. Knight Laris' eyes bore into him, demanding an answer.

"You can let me go," he replied in a smaller voice than he would have liked.

"Good." The grip around his arm loosened and Anakin cradled his hurting arm protectively to his chest. Around them the Initiates exchanged hushed whispers and Knight Laris was not done with them just yet.

"Initiate Olin, Padawan Skywalker, you two are coming with me to the Halls of Healing. The rest of you can go and have midday meal." He motioned for Anakin and Ferus to follow him. "Come!"

The two brawlers reluctantly fell into step behind the Knight, not looking at each other as they entered the turbolift. Knight Laris keyed in the code for the Halls of Healing and the lift hummed to life. He looked them both over as they traveled upwards, taking in their injuries.

"I think I don't have to tell you that you are both in trouble."

Ferus pointed an accusing finger at Anakin.

"He threw the first punch!"

"You deserved it, you called me scum!" Anakin immediately yelled back.

Their teacher cut them off.

"Save your breath and your explanations for after the healers have patched you up. Besides, Master Jinn and your responsible Docent will have to be there, too. Then we will decide about your punishment."

Anakin's heart sank. Qui-Gon would believe him that it was all Ferus' fault, but he still had the distinct feeling that he would not like what was about to come.


	9. A Healer's Plight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is well past two o'clock in the morning now, so this chapter might contain a few mistakes.

Bant checked the sensors of Obi-Wan's bacta tank one last time before turning towards her unconscious friend with a satisfied smile.

"You are doing well, Obi. The new kidney is working perfectly and your cut muscles have almost finished knitting themselves together. Another five days in the tank and you will be up and about again." Her smile became a touch mischievous. "Which is great, because I have _so_ many ideas on how to get you into trouble."

Of course Obi-Wan didn't reply to that, wasn't even able to hear her as he was still in a deep healing trance and trapped inside his bacta tank, his body floating lifelessly in the green go with tubes sticking out of his arms and an oxygen mask covering half of his face. But pretending that he was only messing with her and was actually wide awake inside the tank, his eyes only closed because he pretended to be asleep in order to make her go away, helped to ease the ache and the worry in Bant's chest. So she pretended and she could all too well imagine the sigh and the look of resigned exasperation he would give her in reply to her previous statement, so she rested her hands on her hips and raised her eye ridges in challenge at him.

"Oh, don't give me that look. You need to get out of your room once in a while, and studying in the Archives instead of in your room or practicing lightsaber katas in the dojos definitely doesn't count as 'getting out of your room'. You need to actually relax a little bit. What do you think about us sneaking out of the Temple to have dinner at Dex's? Considering how thin you look, you could do with eating a very unhealthy and greasy nerf burger," she gave Obi-Wan's exposed torso a critical look, "or perhaps two. And yes, we are going to sneak out instead of simply walking out of the front door, because where would be the fun in that? Everyone could do that! And afterwards we will -"

She was interrupted by a tinny, emotionless voice.

"Padawan Kenobi is currently unconscious and unaware of his surroundings, Padawan Eerin. I am sorry to inform you that your attempt at creating a cheerful atmosphere is therefore pointless."

Bant let out a long-suffering sigh and raised her eyes to the ceiling in a silent prayer for patience. Then she turned towards the medical droid that monitored the bacta tanks and replied,

"Yes, I am aware of that, B7, but that is not the point."

"Oh? Then what is the point?" The 2-1B droid tilted its skull-shaped metal head in an inquisitive manner.

"The point is -, oh just forget it."

She turned back towards Obi-Wan's tank and pressed a hand against the large glass tube in a gesture of farewell. She needed to get back to work anyway.

"See you later, Obi-Wan. Try and stay out of trouble while I am gone."

She ignored the droid's noises of confused incomprehension and left the tank room with its eery atmosphere that reminded her more of a science lab than a hospital room in order to return to her duties. She arrived in the entrance hall just in time to witness how a grim looking, young Twi'lek Knight escorted two bloody, disheveled younglings through the door. The two young human boys pointedly didn't so much as glance at each other and generally looked like they had lost a battle against a furious rancor. Bant didn't even need to ask what had happened. What surprised her however was the identity of the two young wanna-be gladiators. 

Anakin Skywalker and Ferus Olin.

Oh, this would be fun... especially once a puffing, overprotective Qui-Gon Jinn arrived to hover around his Padawan like a pissed-off mother bear. 

For a second, Bant contemplated to simply turn around and let one of the other healers on duty deal with this mess, the two boys were hardly in a life threatening condition after all, but quickly reconsidered. She was a healer, she would not shirk her duties because she didn't want to deal with some overbearing Jedi Master. Besides, Ferus looked like he was the one who had suffered the more serious injuries anyway and needed attention first. With some luck another healer would take care of Skywalker before she returned. Decision made, Bant walked up towards the young Knight just as he was about to address the Junior Padawan on duty behind the reception desk.

"Can I help you?"

The Twi'lek shifted his attention towards her, took in her healer attire and nodded.

"Yes, two of my students have gotten into a fight." He gestured towards the two sullen boys. "They need to be checked over." 

"Yes, I see. Their Master and Docent are already on their way, I guess?" 

The Knight nodded warily and Bant felt nothing but sympathy for the poor man. She had an idea how Master Jinn had reacted to that particular comm call. She gestured towards the seats lining the walls.

"You can wait with Padawan Skywalker in the waiting area while I take care of Initiate Olin." 

The Knight sighed deeply but agreed. Oh, Qui-Gon Jinn really hadn't reacted well to the news of his Padawan being walked to the Halls of Healing after being involved in a brawl, had he? 

As soon as the Knight was out of earshot Bant quickly hissed towards the receptionist,

"Minna, if Master Jinn starts causing trouble once he shows up, call Master Che."

The young apprentice healer grimaced but nodded.

Bant gestured for Ferus to come with her.

"Come, Ferus." 

A sullen Ferus trudged after her into the nearest unoccupied examination room and hopped up onto the examination table without further prompting. After a thorough examination to make sure that the worst injury Ferus had suffered was indeed the bite wound in his arm and the scratches in his face, Bant retrieved disinfectant, cotton swabs, bacta cream as well as bacta patches from the counters and set to work. The boy flinched a little bit as she cleaned up his face and the disinfectant stung in his wounds but otherwise only scowled darkly into the distance and let her patch him up. In short, he didn't behave at all like his usual self.

Bant tried to dispel the gloomy atmosphere by commenting in a purposefully light tone,

"Well, at least this time I don't have to set any broken bones because you decided to sneak out of your room after curfew _again_ to secretly try out one of those ridiculous Ataru maneuvers that no sane person would ever willingly perform." 

That usually prompted a sermon about why Ataru was the greatest lightsaber form ever and how unfair it was that one had to become a Padawan to be allowed to learn it. However, Not today. Today it elicited no reaction whatsoever. Which was rather worrisome, so Bant continued, 

"If I didn't know any better, I'd swear that you only get yourself injured all the time to have an excuse to show up here and see me. I mean, I know that I am a charming and irresistible person but you are overdoing it a little bit." 

That finally made the boy's lips twitch upward. Bant grinned back.

"Ah, so you are still able to smile, not everything is lost just yet." 

The boy snorted, resulting in a new rivulet of blood shooting out of his nose, running down his face and dripping onto his tunic. Bant sighed at the sight of the growing blood stains. "Oh my, you certainly got yourself embroiled in quite a brawl, didn't you?" She quickly handed him a towel to put under his nose and placed a cooling pad onto his neck to help stop the bleeding. 

Ferus grunted in thanks and mumbled through the fabric in front of his mouth,

"He only caught me by surprise. That piece of scum wouldn't have managed to score a single hit otherwise."

"Ferus!" Bant stared at the boy in shock. "What has gotten into you? That is not something the Ferus Olin I know would ever say. I do not know what happened between you and Padawan Skywalker, but you know better than to call people names, especially behind their back. It is an abominable thing to do."

The boy blushed and averted his gaze, but refused to apologize. Bant sighed again.

"Will you at least tell me why you are so angry with him?"

"He exists," Ferus growled.

"Well, then I guess you will have to be angry with me too, because the last time I checked I exist, too," Bant replied drily.

The grip of Ferus' hand on the towel tightened and his entire body shook with barely contained fury as he spat,

"He got chosen as a Padawan despite the fact that he never took his Initiate Trials, he is obviously not even _close_ to taking his Trials and yet Master Jinn chose him. Meanwhile all the Initiates raised in the Temple are _terrified_ of not passing their trials, knowing that their entire future depends on those damned tests, knowing that no Knight or Master would ever consider them as a Padawan without that proof of their readiness. He should be treated like everybody else, he should have to prove his worth like the rest of us. But for some reason that barely literate street kid gets preferential treatment. Not only is he chosen as a Padawan the moment he arrives at the Temple, no he gets the famous Sith Killer as his Master and as if that was not insulting enough for the rest of us, the Battle Master himself agrees to privately tutor him in lightsaber combat, even though so far he always insisted that he only tutors Senior Padawans!"

The boy's voice became louder and faster with every sentence he spat out until the last part was barely more than an unintelligible, furious scream. The last of his energy finally spent, he then slumped forward with a gasp and breathed heavily, the towel still clutched to his mouth. 

Bant frowned and tried to make sense of Ferus' rant. His anger was understandable in a way and yet it wasn't. Ferus was the first Initiate in decades to have passed his Initiate Trials at the age of nine, the usual age was ten. There was no way he wouldn't be chosen as a Padawan. He might be jealous, yes, but she doubted that was all there was to it. As one of her regular 'customers' Bant knew Ferus quite well, and while she might not have Obi-Wan's natural talent or Master Yoda's centuries of experience in reading other people's emotions in the Force, even she could detect that the emotions rolling off the boy were only partly anger and jealousy. These emotions were there, yes, but they were laced with an undercurrent of worry, worry for somebody he cared about. 

Then it clicked in her brain and she made an educated guess.

"One of your friends failed their Initiate Trials." 

Ferus hesitated before he nodded silently in defeat, refusing to meet her eyes. Instead he stared at the floor in front of his feet and started to make noises that sounded suspiciously like sniveling. Bant gently lifted his chin and saw the tears pooling in his eyes. Her eyes softened. "Oh, Ferus."

The next thing she knew the boy had launched himself into her arms and hugged her so tightly she could barely breathe. Then he began to sob in earnest - onto her pristine robes, because the towel had fallen to the floor. Bant only sighed, hugged the small, shaking body to her chest and let him cry. It took a while but finally all of his tears were shed and he went back to quiet sniveling.

"Better?" she asked. Ferus shrugged noncommittally and refused to rise his head from where he had buried it into her chest. Not really better then. "Don't give up just yet. Not everyone passes their Initiate Trials at the first attempt. Your friend can try again," she tried to console him, though she knew the words were hollow.

His head snapped up and desperate eyes met her own.

"Yes, but even if Darra passes her lightsaber test next time, her previous failure will still be in her records. You know what that means!" 

The image of a ginger-haired human girl with gangly limbs and a shy smile popped up in Bant's mind. She remembered the girl. Darra often visited Ferus whenever he managed to get himself stuck in the Halls of Healing after one of his far too common training accidents. And yes, Bant knew all too well what that meant for her. The girl's chances of ever convincing a Knight or Master to take her as their Padawan had plummeted to almost zero with that one failure. Darra would have to be very lucky to not age out and be sent to the Service Corps. Loser League... It was not a kind fate.

Ferus continued in a broken voice,

"I tried to help her prepare, I really did. We trained together every chance we got, but it was just not enough and if she fails the test again..." He didn't finish the sentence and he didn't have to. She would be sent to the Service Corps straight away. Force, the way Initiates in the Temple were trained and tested needed to change. Unfortunately, that was something beyond her control. It simply was how things were done in the Order. 

Things looked bad for Darra, but she could not exactly tell Ferus that his friend would likely never become a Jedi Knight. Thankfully, she was saved from having to come up with another hollow reassurance that everything would turn out all right because somebody chose that moment to knock on the door of the examination room. That somebody turned out to be Master Rilla, the Docent responsible for Ferus, who wanted to know how badly Ferus had been injured and talk with Ferus about the 'incident'. As a result, Bant gave a quick report on Ferus' health and then spent the next ten minutes silently treating Ferus' impressive collection of scratches and the one bite wound on his arm while he retold what exactly had happened after their xenobiology class in a monotone, tired voice. 

"- he claimed that he was better than the rest of us and that he was the Chosen One. So I told him that I would only call him the Chosen Scum -" 

Bant's hands involuntarily stilled for a split second before she finished bandaging the bite wound on Ferus' arm with sure hands. But she noticed the raised eyebrows that claim elicited from Master Rilla. 

Oh, that was just too great. She knew that pretty much the only thing Master Jinn and the Council agreed upon when it came to Anakin Skywalker was that it would be better for everyone if his status as the possible Chosen One did not become common knowledge. Master Yoda had even gone so far as to ask Master Che to seal the boy's medical records so that nobody but the Head Healer herself had access to the boy's midi-chlorian count. But it seemed like that particular plan had just gone out of the window, especially if half a dozen Initiates had witnessed the whole exchange between Skywalker and Ferus. The Council would simply be delighted....

"- I admit I insulted him and that I did so out of anger and jealousy, but _he_ was the one to physically attack me. I only defended myself," Ferus summed up his version of events.

Master Rilla nodded.

"Very well. You can return to your classes as soon as you are released from the Halls of Healing. I will inform you about your punishment later today after I have talked with Master Jinn and seen the report on Padawan Skywalker's injuries." Her eyes bored into Ferus. "I think I do not have to tell you that I am very disappointed with you. You may not agree with Master Jinn breaking tradition and choose an outsider as his Padawan, but it is Master Jinn's prerogative to do so and it is not your place to criticize his choice. You might also not like Padawan Skywalker and perhaps even argue with him, but that does not excuse your complete loss of control and outright humiliation of him in front of your classmates.

Ferus hung his head.

"Yes, Master Rilla."

The woman gave another grim nod and then swept out of the room. Bant was almost done, too. She gave Ferus a hypo injection to make sure the bite wouldn't get infected and then he was good to go.

"There, as good as new. Try not to get yourself sent here again, hmm? I enjoy your company but our meetings have a tendency to involve too much blood for my liking."

Ferus sighed deeply and replied unenthusiastically,

"I'll try. Bye, Bant."

"Bye, Ferus."

Then he was out of the door and gone. Bant eyed her blood- and snot-stained healer robes. She needed to go clean up and type out her report on Ferus' injuries. Skywalker would by now definitely be treated by somebody else. She also needed to warn the Council about Skywalker's 'I am the Chosen One and I am better than you' mess - and perhaps Master Jinn, too. No matter what she thought of the man at the moment, it would be unfair to let his young Padawan suffer for his actions, even if her feelings about the boy were complicated at best too. But the boy's actions - and words - today would have consequences, and they wouldn't be pretty. 

And then there was also the fate of Ferus' friend, Darra, that was bugging her. It was not fair that she would likely be sent away because she was not 'good enough', while Skywalker was hailed as a genius by Qui-Gon despite the fact that his level of skill would still be far inferior to Darra's. It reminded her too much of Obi-Wan's situation for comfort. It was not really the same, Darra had not been shoved aside in favor of somebody else, and yet... 

If Darra just had somebody who gave her a chance, somebody who understood...

A broad grin stole across Bant's face.

Darra needed somebody to give her a few extra lightsaber lessons and there was a certain Senior Padawan who knew exactly what her situation was like, and who would also need something to distract himself from his own situation within a few days... It was perfect! And who knew... Darra would be ten now, meaning if Obi-Wan just hurried up with getting himself Knighted... Yes, it was perfect.

Quite satisfied with her fit of ingenuity, Bant left the examination room in the direction of the entrance hall and was almost immediately greeted by the booming voice of an angry Qui-Gon Jinn echoing through the corridors of the Halls of Healing, demanding answers and for him to be granted immediate access to his oh so poor and innocent Padawan.

Bant's smile turned into a grimace and she sighed for what had to be the hundredth time today. Then she squared her shoulders, blood-stained robes proudly on display, and waded into the fray. It was time to remind a certain Jedi Master that his authority had its limits.


	10. A Matter of Respect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, a long overdue update!  
> Writer's block had me in its merciless grip for quite a while but a invested reader guilt tripped me into finally getting over it.  
> Yes, leaving comments can have a positive effect on my updating schedule :)

Anakin tuned out the lecture the human healer was giving him while dabbing bacta on his swollen jaw and instead focused on the feeling of Qui-Gon's Force signature somewhere close by. He could not hear what was going on outside of the examination room he was currently in, but thanks to all their shared meditation sessions he knew Qui-Gon's Force signature well enough by now to be able to feel his presence, especially at such a close distance.

Qui-Gon was close by and he was not happy. As a matter of fact, he was so angry that Anakin was able to pick up on the man's turbulent emotions despite his mental shields. However, Anakin seemed to be the only one because the healer didn't react at all to the boiling anger that penetrated the walls of the Halls of Healing as if they were nothing but thin air and simply continued with his work - and his pointless lecture.

Anakin didn't regret having put Ferus in his place but he did feel guilty for having caused Qui-Gon trouble. And despite himself Ferus' words had started to replay in his mind, now that he had to sit still and had nothing to do but think.

Why had Qui-Gon insisted on giving him only a training saber? He was a Padawan, after all, even if he hadn't taken these stupid Initiate Trials. Did Qui-Gon secretly doubt Anakin's ability to become a Jedi? Or had the Council insisted that Anakin couldn't be trusted with a real lightsaber?

Would Qui-Gon really repudiate him if he failed a class or disappointed him?

Anakin wanted to scoff at the mere idea, Qui-Gon would never do something like that, Qui-Gon believed in him and had told him again and again how special he was, but a small, nagging voice in Anakin's mind couldn't stop whispering, _'Are you sure?_ '

And now Qui-Gon was really, really angry and Anakin's worry turned into fear. He didn't want to be sent back to Tatooine and a life of slavery. He would do anything, _anything_ to avoid that fate. He had to prove to Qui-Gon, the Council and all the other Jedi that he could be one of them, that he could be _better_ than all of them, but he just didn't know how to do that.

He lagged years behind his agemates in most subjects, the Council wanted nothing more than see him fail, and he didn't even have a real lightsaber. A few days ago being given a training saber had felt like being publicly acknowledged as a Jedi, his training saber had been like a medal of honor, now it felt like a subtle slight, like evidence that the Order secretly still considered him to not be good enough to be a real Jedi...

The healer finally finished patching him up and gestured for him to get off the examination table. Anakin hopped down to the floor, just as the door opened and a furious Qui-Gon stormed into the small room, his entire presence a maelstrom of turbulent emotions. Anakin immediately ducked his head in an instinctive attempt to appear smaller and submissive, dread curling in his stomach, only to find himself engulfed in a powerful hug a mere second later.

With the physical contact Anakin's ability to pick up on the man's emotions increased considerably and he let Qui-Gon's emotions wash over him with a sense of cautious hope. The anger was still there but now it was drowned out by Qui-Gon's affection and concern for his Padawan and Anakin almost dared to hope that things were not as bad as he had begun to imagine them to be in his head.

"Anakin, thank the Force! How bad is it?"

The last question was directed at the healer, but Qui-Gon's worried eyes were focused on Anakin as he leaned back and gently turned Anakin's face to inspect his swollen jaw and split lip. Anakin didn't listen to the healer's description of his trivial injuries but instead focused all his attention on Qui-Gon's reaction as the man nodded along to the healer's words. The worry in Qui-Gon's eyes was replaced by relief, the last tendrils of anger evaporating, and the iron grip of fear that had clenched Anakin's heart loosened somewhat.

But finally the healer was done with his explanation and left the room, leaving Anakin alone with his teacher, and Qui-Gon asked the question that Anakin dreaded. "Anakin, what happened?"

He didn't sound angry, his voice was gentle, but Anakin still lowered his eyes. He shrugged his shoulders and murmured, "I got into a fight."

"Yes, but what _happened_ , Anakin?"

Anakin shrugged his shoulders again and tried to play the whole incident down. "The guy called Ferus called me names, he said that I am not worthy to be your Padawan and that you would kick me out soon enough, so I punched him, because he deserved it, and we fought. It was nothing."

It appeared that Qui-Gon disagreed with him on that matter, because his grip around Anakin tightened. "That is not nothing, Anakin. Nobody has the right to throw insults at you just because he has a problem with one of my decisions and I have already given Knight Laris the verbal lashing of a lifetime for allowing any of this to happen under his watch. It was his responsibility to keep you safe, and he failed in that, but you shouldn't have bragged about being the Chosen One or punched Ferus either."

Qui-Gon gently lifted Anakin's chin, forcing him to look the man into his earnest eyes. "Do you understand that, Anakin? I know you have grown up in a place where settling disputes with violence is an acceptable, even an expected way to handle things, but as a Jedi you cannot afford to give into your anger like that, no matter how justified it is, you have to deal with such situations differently."

Anakin nodded, anxious to not make Qui-Gon angry or disappoint him, even if he didn't understand what Qui-Gon was talking about, not really. What was he supposed to do if somebody insulted him, simply smile and let them?

But it seemed to be enough, because Qui-Gon relaxed and smiled. "Good, then let's go and eat midday meal."

"Are you angry at me?" Anakin blurted out. Qui-Gon seemed to be surprised by that so Anakin clarified, "I could feel your anger before you came in and..." he trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence.

But Qui-Gon seemed to understand anyway. "No, Anakin, I am not angry at you, I was angry at the situation, at Initiate Olin, Knight Laris and at a few other people, but not at you. This whole incident was not your fault, it was the fault of Ferus and your teacher. You only got caught up in a situation that you were not yet ready for. But that will change, I will teach you how to properly deal with bullies like Ferus without having to resort to punching them."

"You are not going to punish me or send me away like you did with Obi-Wan?" Anakin's voice sounded very small even to his own ears and he hated it.

Qui-Gon only engulfed him in another bear-hug. "Oh no, Anakin. I won't punish you and I would  _never_ send you away,  _never_! You are nothing like Obi-Wan and you will never be." Qui-Gon almost spat Obi-Wan's name. "You mustn't listen to anybody who tells you otherwise, Anakin. Ferus Olin is only a spiteful, jealous boy who needs to learn that degrading others does not increase his own worth."

Anakin sagged with relief and finally melted into Qui-Gon's embrace. Of course, Qui-Gon would be on his side. He should never have doubted that. It was the two of them together against the rest of the galaxy.

Now Anakin only had to find a way to make Ferus and all the others recognize him as their equal, because he would not spend the rest of his life being looked down upon by _sleemos_ like Ferus Olin!

 

***

 

It was against Jedi custom, but Qui-Gon held his young Padawan's hand tightly in his own in a show of silent support as they left the examination room and passed through the entrance hall of the Halls of Healing. Master Rilla and Knight Laris had thankfully already left - the last thing Anakin needed right now was to witness his Master starting another argument - but Padawan Eerin and Master Che were still there, conversing quietly with each other in a corner.

Eerin's eyes met Qui-Gon's as they passed by the pair. Qui-Gon pointedly held the insolent Mon Calamari's cool gaze for a second, silently reminding her again that he was a full-fledged Jedi Master and that it was not her place as a mere Padawan to question him, before breaking eye contact and focusing his attention on getting his Padawan out of this place. He also pointedly ignored the blood stains on her otherwise pristine healer tunics.

If the woman had thought that confronting him with the evidence for nothing more but a simple nosebleed would sway him to take Olin's side, then she had miscalculated. Anakin had only defended himself against a verbal assault. He had done it in the wrong way, yes, but he hadn't known any better, and that blasted teacher should have been there to prevent that bully Olin from harassing his Padawan in the first place. What had happened was not Anakin's fault.

If anything, Eerin's underhanded attempt to paint Anakin as the villain had only revealed her prejudice against his precious Padawan. Though, considering that she was his ex-Padawan's best friend Qui-Gon shouldn't have expected anything else from her.

What disturbed Qui-Gon most however, was how Anakin's agemates had reacted to Anakin's presence in the Temple. Qui-Gon didn't like to admit it, but he had miscalculated in that regard. He had thought that at least the Temple's children would welcome Anakin into their ranks without bias, but it seemed that he had underestimated the effect the highly competitive atmosphere in the Initiate Wing would have on the children's attitude.

The question now was how to deal with that and how the revelation that Anakin was the Chosen One would influence the behavior of the other children in the immediate future.

Qui-Gon suppressed a sigh. He had hoped to keep that particular piece of information secret from the Order as a whole for a little while longer, but if he was honest with himself, the chance of that actually working had always been slim at best. The entire Council knew, several healers knew, his ex-Padawan knew, and Anakin's incredible talent would have soon led to people drawing the right conclusions, too. It had always only ever been a question of time.

But that meant that the next few weeks would be turbulent and difficult for Anakin. Some children would be jealous and shun him, while others would likely try to ingratiate themselves with him because of that title. Anakin would need Qui-Gon's support more than ever during this time until he had been accepted by his agemates and found some real friends.

Qui-Gon eyed his Padawan from the corner of his eyes as they walked silently through the corridors of the Temple, trying to gauge his mood. The boy's fear from seemed to have evaporated, but so was his subsequent relief that he would not be punished. The incident with Ferus Olin had shaken Anakin and now he was gnawing on his cheeks as he obviously worried over something.

"Anakin? What is it?" Qui-Gon tried to encourage his young charge.

The boy looked up at him with a doubtful, hesitant look that Qui-Gon had come to recognize as a sign that his Padawan didn't know whether it would be prudent to ask a specific question or not.

Qui-Gon squeezed his hand in reassurance and smiled down at his Padawan until the boy finally dared to speak. "Why can't I have a real lightsaber like Ferus and the others? Is it because of the Council, have they forbidden it?"

Qui-Gon sighed. "No, Anakin. This has nothing to do with the Council. You have to pass your Initiate Trials and prove that you can safely handle a lightsaber as well as that you have the skill required to survive the crystal caves on Ilum and find your own kyber crystal in there before you are allowed to attend a Gathering and build your own lightsaber."

Anakin mulled over that revelation for a few seconds. "Okay, then let me take that test."

The mere thought of Anakin going to Ilum only to wander aimlessly and lost through the ice planet's crystal caves until he either froze to death or died falling down a chasm was enough to make Qui-Gon's heart rate pick up speed.

"No, Anakin." Qui-Gon's voice was firm. "You are not yet ready for your Initiate Trials."

"What?! Why?" Anakin sounded stupefied, almost betrayed, and it made Qui-Gon's heart ache, but this was something on which he wouldn't, couldn't, budge.

"Because it takes years of training in the Jedi arts until one is able to safely navigate the crystal caves. You wouldn't pass the trials at your current skill level, much less survive a Gathering. Besides, a real lightsaber is an incredibly dangerous weapon, especially if you have no experience in actually using it."

"But you said that I was the most talented Jedi you had ever seen, that I was the Chosen One. How can it be that everyone else my age has already passed these stupid trials and is allowed to use a real lightsaber, but I am not? It's not fair! Nobody will take me serious as a Padawan if I continue to carry only a training saber. I _need_ a real one."

Qui-Gon suppressed another sigh. So this was what this was all about...

"There is much more to a Jedi than his lightsaber, Anakin," he explained patiently. "And you _are_  incredibly talented, but even your amazing talent cannot simply compensate for your lack of training. Initiates usually take their trials at the age of ten, after five years of training. You have been studying the Force for only a few weeks. Nobody expects you to be on the same level as your agemates." He smiled at Anakin. "Don't worry, you will be ready for your Initiate Trials within a year, and then you will also get a real lightsaber."

That did not have the effect Qui-Gon had hoped for.

"A year?!" Anakin's voice was shrill and horrified. "I can't wait a whole year." The boy's expression became desperate and pleading. "Please, Master Qui-Gon, I promise I can do it."

Qui-Gon squeezed Anakin's hand in sympathy and understanding, but he couldn't tell his young Padawan what he was hoping to hear. "I am sorry, Anakin, but no. You are not yet ready."

Qui-Gon made sure that his voice was soft and understanding, but it was obviously not enough to ease Anakin's distress because the boy removed his hand from Qui-Gon's grip and refused to so much as look at Qui-Gon for the rest of the way to the commissary, broadcasting sullenness in the Force the whole time.

The sudden rejection hurt, but Qui-Gon accepted it. He reminded himself that no matter how talented and mature for his age Anakin was, in the end he was still only a nine year old boy, and children didn't see things like this logically. His very young Padawan would get over the disappointment before the day was over and Qui-Gon would make sure to have a surprise ready to make up for the letdown when Anakin returned from the last of his classes in the evening.


	11. House Cleaning

When Anakin finally returned to his and Qui-Gon's shared apartment after a long and exhausting day of lessons, his mind felt like a wrung-out sponge, his entire body ached from hours of physical exercise, and overall he was in a sour mood.

His first day in school had not exactly gone as he had expected. It hadn't been fun, it had been a nightmare.

The news about his argument and subsequent brawl with Ferus had spread through the Halls of Learning like a wildfire, and as a result his classmates had given him a wide berth the entire afternoon. Instead of talking to him they had stuck their heads together and whispered behind his back whenever the teachers hadn't been looking. So Anakin had spent most of his afternoon sitting at his desk with a bright red head and trying to ignore the derogatory or outright hostile stares that bored into him.

Anakin had hoped to make some friends, instead he had gained at least one enemy and the rest of his agemates as well as the older Padawans didn't take him seriously as a Jedi. They thought he was a joke, an imposter, and an arrogant liar, and it was all because of that stupid training saber.

He needed a real one, and he needed it now, not next year.

Having his own real lightsaber would be undeniable proof that he was worthy to be a Jedi, that he was one of them. Besides, nobody would dare to make fun of him anymore if he could swing a deadly weapon at their faces instead of a only training toy, just like nobody on Tatooine would ever dare to challenge the Hutt enforcers. People respected those who wielded power, the more the better.

And Anakin had proven that he could handle a real lightsaber, after all he had used Qui-Gon's saber without any troubles for weeks. So what was Qui-Gon's problem now? Who cared about some stupid test? Anakin had never passed any driving or flying test either and yet he had won the Boonta Eve Classic and blown up the Trade Federation's Droid Control Ship, while all of Naboo's trained fighter pilots had failed miserably.

He was ready for a real lightsaber!

It just wasn't fair!

Anakin punched in the access code to open the door to his apartment, barely suppressing the urge to kick the unwelcome barrier as it failed to get out of his way immediately, and then stormed in without looking left or right. He rushed straight past Qui-Gon, who peered out of the open doorway to Obi-Wan's old room, kicked off his boots and threw himself onto the couch where he buried his face into one of the thick cushions.

"Anakin? Are you all right?" Qui-Gon sounded worried but Anakin didn't answer, he was too busy fighting back tears and stopping himself from screaming in frustration.

A few seconds passed in tense silence, then a large, comforting hand settled on Anakin's back and Anakin stiffened before rolling over to throw off the offending hand, the cushion still clutched securely to his face. He didn't want to look at Qui-Gon right now, he preferred staring into the comforting darkness of his cushion.

"Has Ferus caused you any more problems?" Qui-Gon asked gently.

"No," Anakin growled into his cushion.

That had been one of the few good things about his afternoon, Ferus had left him alone. They had both attended the same astronavigation class, but the only thing Ferus had done was to give him a dirty look before ignoring him for the rest of the lesson - thankfully, because astronavigation was Anakin's most favorite subject so far. Studying star charts and learning how to calculate hyperspace jumps to get to other planets was wizard, and he had spent a large part of that hour daydreaming about what it would be like to visit all these exotic places where people didn't even know what slavery was. He had even managed to almost forget about his misery during that blissful hour.

But then the class had been over and reality had come crashing back in as his classmates had again looked down their noses at him. Anakin had stormed out of the classroom with clenched fists, telling himself that he didn't need any of these people, only to later be criticized by Master Drallig for being too angry and aggressive during his evening lightsaber training session.

It had been a miserable day that had made Anakin desperately miss his mom and his old friends, and now all Anakin wanted was to be left alone, but of course, Qui-Gon wouldn't let him.

"Then what is it, Anakin?"

Anakin took a deep shuddering breath and tightly hugged the cushion to his face. "Nobody takes me seriously, they all ignore me or look at me like I am some kind of disgusting vermin. I hate them, I hate them all!" he shouted through the fabric.

Qui-Gon was silent for a second before answering. "Oh, Anakin... I know it's hard right now, but you have to be patient and give your agemates some time. They don't know you yet, all they know is that you bragged about being the Chosen One, got into an argument with one of their friends and then beat him up."

Anakin finally removed the cushion from his face so he could glare at Qui-Gon, who was kneeling on the floor right next to the couch, bringing their faces to the same height. "But it was Ferus' fault! _He_ started the whole thing in the first place!"

Qui-Gon remained patient. "Yes, I know, but even if somebody has told them that, they won't care because Ferus is their friend." He gave Anakin a meaningful look. "What would your old friends on Tatooine have done if some new kid had shown up in Mos Espa, claimed that they were better at podracing than you and then punched you in the face in front of everyone?"

Anakin squirmed uncomfortably on the couch. He hadn't thought of it like that, and when Qui-Gon put it like that, he almost felt just a little bit ashamed for his behavior earlier in the day. . "They would have beaten the crap out of the new kid," he eventually admitted grudgingly. "But that is different. Ferus insulted me!"

"Yes, Anakin, but you get my point. The situation I just described is basically what has happened from their point of view, and now they are trying to defend their friend by giving you the cold shoulder. They will stop as soon as they realize that you are actually not that kind of person, but that will take some time. You have to be patient with them. Just keep your cool and try to remain friendly. They will come around soon and then you will find friends, you will see."

Anakin wasn't convinced and demonstrated it by grimacing at Qui-Gon. Perhaps people would soon forget about the argument with Ferus, but they would still look down on him for only having a training saber, just like free people on Tatooine looked down on those who had to wear slave clothes - or worse, slave collars.

Even when free people recognized that a slave possessed skills that were superior to their own, they still looked down on that slave for not being their equal - and things like forbidding slaves to wear the same clothes as free people was how they asserted their superiority. Status symbols mattered, they could make all the difference in how people looked at you. It was something that a Jedi like Qui-Gon should understand, or what was the point of Padawan braids, of making Jedi wear different kind of clothes depending on their ranks, or of forbidding members of the Service Corps to carry lightsabers altogether? But for some reason Qui-Gon was completely oblivious to the importance of that kind of thing and it drove Anakin mad.

"But I am still the only Padawan who isn't allowed to carry a real lightsaber. Not even the Initiates will respect me until I have one!"

Qui-Gon sighed. "That is not true, Anakin, and we have already had this discussion. My answer has not changed."

"But -" Anakin started only to be cut off by Qui-Gon.

"No, Anakin." Qui-Gon's voice was not unkind, but it was firm, like his mom's had sometimes been when she had forbidden him to do something that would make Watto angry, no matter how badly he had wanted to do it. It told Anakin clearly that this conversation was over and that it would be prudent for him to accept that, so he kept his mouth shut, but the disappointment still tasted bitter in his mouth.

Why couldn't Qui-Gon understand?!

The Jedi Master's tone softened. "If you are so worried about people not taking you seriously, then this might help." He held out a large palm on which lay a small, bright orange bead. "I think you have earned the right to wear this on Naboo, even if you are technically still far too young to pilot any kind of vessel."

Anakin's eyes went wide like saucers as he stared at the bead. "Is that an achievement bead?" he asked breathlessly.

Qui-Gon's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Yes, this is a Piloting Bead. You have proven your mastery of piloting in the podrace as well as during the Battle of Theed, and it is time to officially acknowledge that." He gestured for Anakin to sit up so he could attach the bead to his Padawan braid..

Anakin obediently got into a sitting position and turned around so that Qui-Gon could reach the stubby Padawan braid hanging behind his right ear. He could feel a series of soft, tugging sensations as Qui-Gon undid the braid with nimble fingers and then carefully rewove it. The new bead clicked as it touched the white Choosing Bead that Qui-Gon had given him during their private braiding ceremony when he had officially become the man's Padawan, and then it was done.

Qui-Gon let go of the braid and Anakin immediately fumbled for it with his right hand, rolling his eyes to the far right in a futile attempt to get a look at it. The braid was still too short for him to see it, but he could feel the two hard, round pieces of wood that were now woven into his braid. He reverently ran his fingers over the smooth, polished surface of the two beads that marked his first steps on the path of becoming a Jedi Knight.

His first achievement bead! It definitely wasn't a lightsaber but it was better than nothing.

"Thank you," Anakin breathed and Qui-Gon laughed as he got up from the floor.

"Oh, you don't have to thank me, you earned it, _and_ it is visible proof that you deserve to be a Padawan. Which reminds me, it is overdue that you finally move into the Padawan room. You have slept on that couch long enough, and now that you have officially started school you need a place where you can work on your projects and do your homework in peace. Besides, being able to invite people here might also help you in finding friends. In my experience Initiates are always eager to escape the scrutiny of their Crèche Masters and Docents in the Initiate Wing."

Well, yes, having a cool place to invite people might help him in finding friends... possibly... if people would actually talk to him so he could invite them in the first place, but all that still didn't solve his lightsaber problem and how nobody would ever respect him without him having one.

Still, Anakin got up from the couch and obediently followed Qui-Gon to Obi-Wan's old room. Perhaps if he did his best to be a good little Padawan, then Qui-Gon would mellow and reconsider in a day or two. It was a method that had sometimes worked on Watto when Anakin had really wanted something. Plus, finally having his own room would admittedly be nice and an improvement to basically living in their apartment's sitting room. The couch was comfortable, but he would really prefer to finally have his own bed.

Anakin stepped over the threshold to the smaller of the apartment's two bedrooms and immediately felt like he had entered an entirely different world. The thin layer of dust that had covered everything the last time he had peered into this room was mostly gone - undoubtedly the work of the MSE droid that was still bustling around on the floor - but the room still looked... impersonal and unwelcoming, almost abandoned.

Obi-Wan clearly didn't share Qui-Gon's love for plants or colorful rugs and cushions or well-worn but comfortable furniture. The room felt clinical and functional to a fault, with no room for simple indulgences like personal mementos being displayed on the shelves, or a comfortable couch sitting in an otherwise empty corner, or even just a pretty quilt lying on the bed. The only color in the room was the pale green of a lonely, withered potted plant that sat on the desk.

There was also barely any furniture in the room, only the bare minimum, and yet even the few wooden shelves were mostly empty except for about three dozen holobooks that were arrayed meticulously in lines - Anakin wouldn't be surprised to find out that their frames were aligned perfectly with less than a millimeter of deviation.

In short, it was the most orderly, colorless and impersonal room he had ever seen, and it fit Obi-Wan as Anakin had come to known him perfectly: stiff, obsessed with rules and utterly emotionless. The man had likely spent his entire free time in here studying the Jedi code and writing essays about how to keep one's room orderly.

At least packing up the _sleemo_ 's stuff wouldn't take long.

It appeared that Qui-Gon agreed with that assumption because there were only four moving boxes sitting on the floor next to the perfectly made bed They were still empty except for some boots and clothes that had been stuffed into one of them. Qui-Gon must just have started cleaning out Obi-Wan's stuff when Anakin had returned home, though a quick glance to the open built-in closet revealed that it was already almost empty, even though the pile of packed-away robes was depressingly small.

Qui-Gon gestured towards the desk that was also tidy to a fault - seriously did Obi-Wan arrange his things using a protractor and a ruler?

"You can clean out the desk. Just put everything into the boxes." With that said, Qui-Gon dug into the closet and all but ripped the rest of Obi-Wan's Padawan robes from their hangers before throwing them into the partly filled box without much care.

Anakin didn't exactly like Obi-Wan, but rummaging through his stuff still felt intrusive. "Shouldn't we wait until Obi-Wan has woken up so he can pack up his things himself?"

Qui-Gon grunted as he struggled with two brown cloaks that had gotten entangled with each other. "No. Under other circumstances I would agree with you, but you need the room - it's your room now anyway - and I honestly never want to see _him_ again. I have put this off long enough as it is. It's time to get rid of all that useless stuff." He finally won the battle against the two cloaks and they ended up on top of the pile of discarded robes. "Or do you want to watch him mope while he packs up his stuff?"

Well, if Qui-Gon put it like that...

Anakin opened the first drawer and started emptying it. Even the drawers didn't contain much and were well organized, so the work went quickly, however he hesitated when it came to the small flowering bush that looked like it might still survive if it was properly taken care of and not put into a dark box.

He held it up for Qui-Gon to see. "What about this one?"

Qui-Gon paused in his work of sorting through some of the holobooks from the shelves to look at the plant. "You can keep that if you want. I gave it to him once upon a time so he could work on his sensitivity for the Living Force, but I am afraid it never amounted to much. He won't miss it." With that Qui-Gon returned his attention to the holobooks, muttering something under his breath about having to return most of them to the Jedi Archives as he began to sort them into several piles.

Anakin carefully put the plant aside, making a mental note to water it immediately as soon as they were done, and then approached the single cabinet that was tucked away in a corner where it was easy to overlook it if one stood in the doorway, almost as if its owner didn't want it to be noticed by guests.

Curious, Anakin opened the cabinet and to his astonishment was greeted by the sight of dozens of slightly odd-looking, colorful models of all kind of creatures, spaceships and Ama-ru knew what else. It was such a stark contrast to the rest of the bland, colorless room that Anakin blinked rapidly at first, wondering whether he was imagining things, but when he looked again, the models were still there. Stupefied, he reached into the cabinet to take one of the larger figures into his hand. The little sand-colored krayt dragon was surprisingly light and its scales felt rough as he ran his fingers over the dragon's back. That was when Anakin realized that the figurines were not normal models made out of plastic or wood but had been created by painstakingly folding sheets of flimsiplast again and again until they took the desired form.

Slightly in awe, he let his eyes wander over the many flimsiplast figures that were arrayed in neat rows on the cabinet's upper shelves. There was the sand-colored krayt dragon, an orange and white tooka cat, a gray bantha as well as the elegant v-shape of a starfighter right next to a bulky freighter, a blue-skinned Twi'lek and in the very corner was a small green figure that looked suspiciously like a miniature model of Master Yoda. He took a closer look and, yes, it was indeed a small, mossy green figurine of the ancient Jedi Master, including his large pointed ears, the scrunched up, wrinkled face, the brown cloak, and even his much-feared gimer stick.

Anakin sniggered as he studied the small, incredibly detailed figure sitting on his palm, which finally got the attention of Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon threw him a questioning look and Anakin held up the small Yoda figure, still grinning. Qui-Gon looked at the miniature Yoda with an unreadable expression on his face before briskly turning his back to Anakin and the flimsi model and resuming his sorting of holobooks with perhaps a little bit more vigor than before. The grin slipped from Anakin's face and he silently cursed himself for forgetting how difficult this had to be for the older Jedi.

He had no idea why somebody like Obi-Wan would make these beautiful flimsi figures - only to then hide them away, no less - but they obviously held some very personal and painful memories for Qui-Gon so they needed to go.

He grabbed as many figures as he could with both of his arms and threw them on top of the clothes stuffed into the first box. That process was repeated in quick succession until the cabinet was empty, the box was full, and its lid firmly closed, hiding the offending items from sight. Anakin was just about to close the cabinet's door too when he noticed the relatively large, rectangular box sitting inconspicuously on the bottom shelf. Distracted as he had been by all the colorful flimsi figures, he had almost overlooked what appeared to be a simple toolbox.

But what would Obi-Wan of all people do with a mechanic's toolbox? The young man was obviously not a passionate mechanic like Anakin, and there were no mechanical parts or machines in need of repair to be found in this room.

Intrigued by this little mystery, Anakin opened the box, and for a few seconds he stared in incomprehension at the foreign tools and mechanical components it contained before realization hit him and he inhaled sharply in surprise, a thrill running down his spine. Barely able to suppress his excitement, he extended a hand to rummage through the box and ascertain exactly what was stowed away in the box when he remembered that he was not alone in the room and his hand stopped mid-movement.

He almost pulled a muscle, so quickly did his head whip around to look over his shoulder and determine whether Qui-Gon had noticed his reaction. But to his relief Qui-Gon still had his back deliberately turned towards him and appeared to be focusing all of his attention on packing away the holobooks that apparently didn't need to be returned to the Jedi Archives.

Anakin released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, quickly closed the toolbox and shut the door of the cabinet, his heart pounding in his chest as he did so. Qui-Gon still didn't so much as glance at Anakin so he nonchalantly walked towards the nightstand to clean out its only drawer and finish off this whole house cleaning project. It took only a minute and yet the itch to run back to the cabinet immediately to take a closer look at the toolbox was almost impossible to ignore.

But he had to.

Qui-Gon would never let him keep the box if he knew of its existence. So even if it almost killed him, Anakin didn't let his eyes wander anywhere near the cabinet while they finished packing up Obi-Wan's things.

In a way, it was sad that they managed to literally remove all evidence of somebody's existence in less than thirty minutes.

Finally, Qui-Gon closed the lid of the last box and took a look around the now completely empty and impersonal room. "Well, that went much quicker than I thought it would." He raised a questioning eyebrow at Anakin. "Do you want to keep the furniture or do you want to have it replaced?"

Anakin kept his eyes firmly on Qui-Gon. "I'll keep the furniture, but I would really like to make the room a little bit more homy." He gave the uncomfortable looking chair at the desk a critical sideways glance. "And a new chair would also be great. That one looks like it will give anybody sitting on it back pains."

Qui-Gon chuckled. "I see. All right, let's go to the quartermaster and requisition some mover droids to get rid of those boxes and see the holobooks returned to the Archives, and then we can pick out a new, comfortable chair and some decorative items in the storage rooms for you - and perhaps also a new desk that is more suitable for your smaller size, a couch and a few more clothes. What do you think?"

Anakin nodded eagerly. "Yes, please. Can I also have something like a workbench and a few basic tools, so I can work on my own mechanics projects?"

Qui-Gon blinked in surprise, but took the likely rather unusual request in stride. "I think that should be possible, yes, though we would have to pick up most of that kind of stuff from maintenance or the technical department. But I don't see why you should have to give up your hobby."

Anakin beamed up at Qui-Gon. "Wizard!"

Qui-Gon smiled back at him and together they walked out of the room, Anakin barely able to contain his excitement.

Qui-Gon might refuse to give him a real lightsaber, but that wouldn't stop him from simply _building_ one. He had a kyber crystal, and thanks to the toolbox he now also had the tools and at least most of the components he would need. He might still have to scavenge a few missing parts and possibly a new power pack, but if he had been able to steal the parts and tools necessary to restore an old, almost completely destroyed podracer without Watto ever noticing, then this would be a piece of cake. Compared to that, how difficult could it be to construct a simple, tiny lightsaber?

Anakin could already picture the look of shock and utter disbelief on Ferus' face when he challenged him to a duel and the boy realized that Anakin no longer wielded a training toy but a real weapon. Even better would it then feel to hold the lightsaber at the _sleemo_ 's throat in triumph and watch him quiver in fear.

Nobody would ever again look down on him!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even Jedi need hobbies. Qui-Gon has his plants and Anakin has his tinkering, so Obi-Wan also needed something to do in his free time. Unfortunately, I couldn't think of anything fitting so I started google searching all kind of funny things combined with 'star wars' (it's amazing what you can find in the depths of the internet) until I stumbled upon pictures of the cutest origami Yoda and Darth Vader I have ever seen. Thus, Obi-Wan Kenobi, the secret origami master, was born.


End file.
